Award Winning Coach Throws Out First Pitch

Coach Gerald Caldwell threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday as the Mt. Airy baseball season got under way.

Coach Caldwell recently won the Positive Coaching Alliance’s coveted Double-Goal Coach Award presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance for his positive impact on youth athletes.

This national award is given to coaches who strive to win while pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.

Liberty Mutual hands out the award every year, and below is come background on Coach Caldwell they provided:

Caldwell keeps a focus on fun with his players. “If you can’t enjoy this, then why do it?” he said. “You come to this field with a smile on your face, and you leave this field with a smile on your face. Nobody worries about wins and losses but the coach. You want to blame somebody, blame me. Kids of eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 years old can’t walk around with that on their shoulders.”

Caldwell – a grandfather of three, who moved to Mt. Airy in 1987 – also noted some more serious aspects of youth sports. “Being in the part of the city I’m in, we’ve worked through some racial tensions,” he said. “Bringing cultures together is one of the biggest life lessons. Kids don’t pick these things up automatically in the streets. Some of these things are taught. I try to teach that color doesn’t matter. Whatever you want out there, you can get it if you focus.”