Coaching the Multitude
What makes a coach? The definition of a coach given to us by the World Wide Web is “in sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of an athletic team or of individual athletes” (bestsportscoachingjobs.com). Coaches are given a responsibility to the team and individual. They are responsible for teaching the fundamentals of the sport and guide the athlete to be the best individual on and off the playing field.
Coach Steve Torricelli or Coach Tor is the definition of the word coach. He has strong moral principles to go along with a strong love and knowledge of the game of baseball. “Coach Tor” has been the head of the Springfield College in Illinois/Benedictine University at Springfield for 11 years and is currently in his 12th year.
The Torricelli name is synonymous with the baseball community in and around Springfield. Coach Tor, Coach Jim Torricelli, and Tim Torricelli all have grown up in Springfield, now they are giving back to the community by coaching at Benedictine University at Springfield otherwise known has BUS. Coach Steve Torricelli is the head coach, while Jim and Tim are assistants.
Coach Steve Torricelli graduated from Springfield High and went on to spend his college career at Eastern Illinois University. His mentors at EIU were the late Dan Callahan and Tom McDevitt. From Eastern, he went on to coach and teach at Taylorville High School for 5 years before coming to coach at Benedictine University at Springfield.
Under his tutelage, Coach Torricelli has a record of 312-242 during his tenor at Benedictine University at Springfield. He has many national honors from coaching over the last 11 years. Here are just a few: One of his players was selected in the major league draft, and he has coached three All Americans, three all district players, 14 members of the all region team, 40 all conference selections and he has also coached 23 Academic All Americans and 74 players who were named to the Academic All-Conference team. According to Coach Torricelli though, the two that stand out for him are back-to-back regional titles in 2007 and 2008, and in 2010, the Bulldogs’ cumulative GPA of 3.44earned the program its highest ever national ranking and allowed it to finish second in the nation for the second straight year among 398 College programs.
So to say Coach Torricelli hasn’t done his share of coaching over the years is an understatement.
What keeps a coach going after all those years, titles, and accolades, “The players” Coach Torricelli said with a smile.
Coach Torricelli has always known he was going to end up being a coach. He is what we like to call a people person. The gift of coaching is not easy for some men and women, but for Coach Torricelli it is second nature. He grew up always wanting to help people, and coaching was an excellent way to mold young players into fine young men.
You would think after years of coaching and the awards one would become complacent in coaching or become fed up with it. Here are a few ins and outs of how Coach Torricelli does not lose the passion for coaching. Each year, comes new and interesting challenges to me Coach Tor said. We get new players each year with different personalities, and it is my job to blend those players in with the already existing players.
“I also love adversity,” Coach Tor added. Adversity never gives you a heads up and comes at you head on. I thrive for these situations. “Sometimes you take these adversities head on or you may have to look at it from a different angle and evaluate the situation,” said Coach Torricelli.
Over the years, players come and go like the season of baseball. When asked what do you want your players to remember when leaving your program? His answer will surprise most people. He gave two things he would hope players would remember after leaving the program: their education and exposed to a program that cared about them as an individual.
Once known as Springfield College in Illinois is now Benedictine University at Springfield. This change brought new and different challenges to Coach Torricelli. Coach Tor went from one of the top junior college baseball programs in the state of Illinois to a new and developing NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) baseball program. Recruiting has been a bigger issue for Coach Torricelli. SCI was only a two year baseball program and was easy to recruit players to. Benedictine is a four year baseball program, and it is hard to get young players to commit to a four year school says Coach Torricelli.
This change brought around a different coaching style for Coach Tor as well. “Going from coaching 18-19 year olds to 18-22 and 23 year olds is a major difference,” Coach Tor states. I am now coaching older student-athletes which holds more responsibility on both parties, respectively. Junior college is mostly about starting players out, giving them a direction to go towards. Our new four year program allows me (Coach Tor) to prep and guide players as student-athletes to a career path.
Most players are scared of NAIA programs because it doesn’t have the same label as D-1, D-2, D-3 and junior college programs. “NAIA is not a disease; it is still quality baseball,” Coach Tor sternly stated. That is the biggest hurdle I face when trying to recruit players, I need to guide them away from the stigma of NAIA programs.
All coaches can be asked the same universal question, “What tool or way do you use to keep players driven or focused?” Coach Tor replied, “Creative drills and stay away from redundancy.” All drills are boring but when approached the right way, they can be rewarding. I (Coach Tor) have a certain time allotted for practices. During which, I use a variety of ways to keep each practice different and entertaining for my players. If a player does the same thing over and over again that is when the problems of focus and drive come up. I am very hard on each of my players, and to keep them wanting more you need to have some enjoyment and competition in drills. This keys on the natural competitive nature all athletes have or else they would not be there.
All coaches have their mentors or people of influence to them. Coach Tim Torricelli (brother) is that person for Coach Tor. Tim has been a long time minor league manager and knows the game inside and out. Tim was a big influence on how I go about coaching and what is the best way to communicate with the players. “He (Tim) has been around the game so much; he sees things in a slow motion effect. The ability to see things before they happen on a baseball field is a gift, and Tim has the gift. Which is why Coach Tor has him in the dugout of games every chance he can. “He brings a calming effect to me, and I look for his leadership and help during the course of the game. Experience in coaching is a key component between Coach Tor and Coach Tim Torricelli there is no shortage of experience. This is why Coach Tor brings a sense of family to his players because without family we are all just individuals.
Coaches go about the definition have student-athlete in a variety of ways. Some only look at the athlete part and some look at the student part first. Coach Tor looks at the student-athlete as a whole unit. He says he looks at the student first, but it is student-athlete for a reason. By being an athlete prepares you for other life obstacles that being a normal student you would not necessarily encounter. Failures are inevitable in sports and the way you bounce back from failure is what helps you become a better person. Commitment is vital to the overall make up of a student-athlete. “If they are not committed; I cannot coach and teach.”
Other markings of a great coach are the people he or she makes an impression on; whether it is players, coaches, or others. Through the years Coach Tor has taught not only players about the game and life, but other assistants. One of those assistants is Jeremy Cook. Jeremy Cook has been around Coach Tor for 8 years, and has learned many things from him.
Jeremy said, “I have learned how to study an opponent better from an offensive and defensive perspective. I pay more attention to detail in my own coaching strategies.” Jeremy uses the teachings in organization given my Coach Tor to use in his career at Benedictine, from organizing the camps at Benedictine to the yearly golf outing for the baseball program.
As a coach, you need to hold yourself to a higher standard on and off the field. Coach Tor epitomizes this teaching. I use this principle in high regard Jeremy Cook pointed out. For parents to trust you with their child is hard enough let only not being a professional in your coaching abilities. Also, Cook points out, I have learned all aspects of the game of baseball better under the tutelage of Coach Tor. The best quote Cook takes with every time he coaches is this, “Let the game come to you, never put yourself above the game,” from Coach Tor.
Coach Torricelli constantly preaches “we are a family” to his players. This might be the reason BUS’s baseball program has been tearing up the accomplishments the last few years. Players are brought in as individuals and become one team, one family. Those are the markings of a great coach. That coach is Coach Steve Torricelli.