To be a coach one must be a leader, have the ability to rally a group of vastly different individuals, and bring them together to strive to achieve a common goal while surmounting each obstacle that comes in the way. With challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Head Baseball Coach Richard Frink has weathered the storm and overcome the greatest obstacles, giving his team a successful season. Frink said, “We are still overcoming these challenges. We are working hard five, six, days a week to make up for lost time.”

   Senior Alonzo Ramos shared how diligent Frink has been while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines: “This year is different than any other but coach has done a great job adjusting. Baseball is an outdoor sport so we do not face as much risk as other sports, yet Coach Frink has still done really well making sure we are safe.” Junior Nico Villalobos said, “There is a lot more work that comes with being a coach this year than any other, and Coach Frink has taken it in stride and adapted well, really without a single kink.”

   With the Winter Pre-Season cut out due to the pandemic, there was a lot of lost time to make up for. Senior Jack Zerr said, “We [the team] have spent a lot of time together in a really short period, much more than we usually do. Coach has done a great job working with us to make up for all the time that we lost.” Ramos added, “He [Frink] has even been sacrificing Saturdays in order to make up just that little extra time. He’s completely dedicated to this team and making sure we perform to the best of our abilities.”

   A coach has to manage a wide range of personalities, which can always be a struggle, but Frink has brought the team together beautifully: “The team has had its ups and downs, but seeing them come together and play as one in order to succeed makes me really happy as their coach.” Villalobos said, “Frink is a coach that we all want to play for. It seems like a given that you want to work hard and win with your coach but not everyone is as lucky as we are.” Ramos added, with a huge grin on his face, “You hear horror stories about other players and their experiences with their coaches. Luckily, we haven’t had to deal with that.”

   At the end of the day, all that matters is getting to play at all. As Frink said, “I am just happy that we can be on the field and everyone gets to go out and play some ball.”