Coach Mennitt

I got to spend some time with Coach Mennitt today. I'd seen him coach but today got to talk with him some. What a cool guy. He has a reputation as a tough coach and competitor which I really like. I got a chance to see his young son Sam Mennitt swing the bat a little bit. A nice young player who will be on the high school scene in a couple of years.

 

Coach Mennitt is one of the Coach of the Year Candidates at the Hot Stove Dinner, along with Coach Hennessey and Coach Little. His son is also on one of the youth team of the year finalists. They say he has quite an arm

 

Coach Mennitt is the kind of coach who's players will run through a wall for him. He gets the best out of each one of his players. While he has been blessed with lots of talented players at MR, it takes a great coach to get them to gel as a team and produce to their highest ability.

He is very giving of his time and talents to youth as well as his HS players. I have had the pleasure of my son being on a couple of his teams with his son Sam. My son is better for it. I took my son to see him a couple years after we last played on his team for some swing help. Coach Mennitt spent an hour with him and would not let me pay him. A very nice man, and a very very good baseball coach.

The problem for dad is that they live in a different district from where he coaches. Not that Sam can't get a waiver....he may want to play with the boys at Cuthbertson! We'll see what kind of "recruiting" he can do to get his son to play with him at MR!!

 

Not a problem....Coach Little has done a wonderful job on this side of the district, as well. In the first two years of existence, Cuthbertson HS has a record of 47 - 7 and 6 D1 commits. I'm sure that Sam would fit right in here at Cuthbertson HS. Ha. Lot of good baseball being played in Union County. No way would I ever forget about Weddington, as well.

But this is about coach Mennitt. Coach is just a super guy helping out wherever he can. My son had the opportunity of working with coach Mennitt when he used to help out On-Deck. He always said that Coach would push them, but he really liked what he got out of the practices. There is definitely nothing better than seeing that size 9 (not really sure, but it's small compared to coach) baseball glove on his hand when he's working out his team.

Both of these guys are fine examples of what a teaching coach can be in both baseball and in life. Should be a tough category and a great opportunity just to be selected in this category. Good luck to all the nominees.

 

I just realized I wasnt very clear, this year , Coach Robert Little is up for Coach of the year. Travis Little actually won it last year

 

I can't agree more. My son played against Coach Mennitt but I will say he is one of the few coaches in the area that can truly motivate his players to play at an elite level. He has been blessed with some very talented players but he always made them all play better. I respect him more for the fact that he is able to recognize and appreciate talented and hardworking young men - on both sides of the field. Good Luck Coach Mennitt...

 

Mark Mennitt coaches with pure passion. The man leaves it all out there. I would have liked to have seen him as a player...take no prisoners!