Arizona HS coach dads recall favorite moments,
Arizona high school coaches who are dads will celebrate Father’s Day with their children on Sunday.
The Arizona Republic asked some of them to recount favorite moments with their kids.
James Kuzniak, Yuma Gila Ridge baseball
His daughter, Alexa Gray Kuzniak, turns 5 in August. He said he has always made it a priority to spend his free time with her, even if he didn’t get back from a tournament until late at night.
“I always pick her up from her mom’s and our weekends or time is always action-packed with activities,” he said. “Going from a tense back-and-forth ball game at the end of the year against a big rival, to going to watch a kid’s cartoon movie a few hours later really puts life and the game into perspective.
“I see how she doesn’t really care if I made a coaching mistake or put on a terrible bunt call. She’s just happy to be with her dad.”
Damin Lopez, Phoenix St. Mary’s boys basketball
Lopez’s son Noah, 7, is much like his dad. Very competitive, Damin said. He sits on the bench with his dad at games and, Damin says, will call out players for being “soft,” and will even question his dad’s coaching decisions.
“For instance, he questioned why I didn’t start Garrison Phelps and Jeremiah Cherry on Senior Night and I had to explain that it was because of Senior Night,” Damin said. “Bonding, spending time with him is no problem, because he is a sports nut like me.”
Lopez’s daughter Isabella, who recently turned 11, is all about dance and theater, he said. In order to participate with her, Damin took up hip hop dancing. He did a recital with her, and for a couple of years has done the Dancing Dads out of his daughter’s dance studio.
His favorite moment was dancing with her at a Suns game during a timeout.
“I take great pride in doing something she loves, even if it puts me in positions that are way more nerve-wracking like dancing in front of 15,000, instead of coaching or playing in front of 15,000,” Lopez said.
Jeff Baumgartner, Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor baseball
In the spring of 2018, he took his then 9-year-old son Billy Bob with him on a trip to North Carolina, where his team was playing in the USA Baseball National High School Invitational. His star player then was third baseman Nolan Gorman, now in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
“He got to go with me to the tournament to see the best players in the country, while shagging balls in batting practice, meeting former and future professional players and tour colleges with us,” Baumgartner said. “He developed a love for baseball that spring and it will be a lasting memory we will share forever.”
Bob Hershey, Gilbert Christian baseball
Two years ago, when he was one of the high school all-star game coaches for the 1A-3A baseball game, Hershey’s son, Nick, was a senior on that team he was coaching.
“He was the starting pitcher, gave up no runs and hit a triple,” Hershey said. “Anyway, he was awarded the MVP trophy for the game and all of this happened on my 50th birthday. For me, it was the best birthday gift a coach/dad can get.”
Josh SeKoch, Surprise Valley Vista football
The rivalry game against Surprise Willow Canyon is a big deal in the SeKoch family with children Jude and Kennedy running around the end zone, falling on the bleachers and getting candy and snow cones, Josh said.
“Even though they are 6 and 4, they always ask about the trophy, which is the Battle of Surprise Trophy that we compete for,” Josh said.
Every time Josh and is wife Amy try to get their daughter to take a nap, she invariably asks these questions:
Do the football boys take a nap? Do they wake up to go to practice?
“It could be March and she asks it,” Josh said.
Danny Preble, Tucson Salpointe Catholic baseball
Last year, it was family night at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium, where Salpointe not only celebrated its first-ever state baseball championship -- a 4-3 win over Gilbert Mesquite -- but three generations of Prebles soaked it all in.
Danny Preble was the head coach, his son Gabe was on the team, and Danny’s father, Keith, was an assistant coach.
“Pretty incredible,” Danny said.
Jason Black, Phoenix Veritas Prep
On Father’s Day 2016, Jason was watching Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. That was the series in which the Cavs overcame a 3-1 deficit to win Cleveland’s first NBA championship, behind LeBron James.
Jason’s daughter, Aubree was 4, and his youngest Cambria, was 9 months and sleeping most of the game.
Jason was teaching Aubree about James and the Warriors’ Steph Curry.
“She was eating it all up and getting excited for every play,” he said. “Aubree was so excited that Bron got the win. She would have been excited either way. But while we were watching the trophy ceremony, she says to me, ‘Daddy, I miss football.’ I have never been happier.”