Hubbard recalls early days of Whitley County baseball

This past weekend Whitley County High School celebrated 50 years of Colonels baseball by defeating Middlesboro 10-5 and McCreary Central 7-1 during Saturday’s Gem City Cruisers Bash event. For assistant coach Glyn Hubbard, who threw out the day’s ceremonial first pitch, it was a chance to reflect back on what it was like to play on the school’s first ever baseball team back in 1964.

“We were on the old field on the other side of the gymnasium,” Hubbard recalled. “We had what I call a ‘rubbed down garden’ infield, and the outfield was wide open. If you hit the ball into the trees it was a home run, so we just tried to hit it as far as we could. Things have come a long way since 50 years ago.”

Hubbard was a junior in ’64, and he played catcher. He remembers the disappointment he felt at the end of that first season when the Colonels were defeated 1-0 by Middlesboro in the district finals.

After graduating high school, Hubbard went on to Cumberland College. After graduating from there, he moved to Champaign County, Ohio where for 32 years he coached baseball and taught math, reading and chemistry at Graham High School, Triad High School and Bellefontaine City Schools.

When Hubbard returned home, he didn’t anticipate he would coach anymore, but he ended up taking an assistant coaching position ten years ago and has remained on the staff since that time. “I’ve told them every time that they’ve switched coaches that I would resign unless the new coach wanted me to stay, and they have always kept me on. One of these days I guess they’re going to let me be too old and quit,” he said laughing.

In his time as a coach and a teacher, Hubbard says that things have certainly changed for today’s youth compared to when he was growing up. “Kids have so many more things to do today,” he said. “When I was a student here very few kids could drive to school. Our coaches had to take us home, but today a lot of the kids have jobs and they have cars.”

“Probably the biggest thing that has affected coaching is the fact that so many kids are now from what I would call ‘split homes’ where maybe there’s just a dad, just a mother, or maybe there are grandparents there taking care of them. Because of that, these days you not only have to be a coach, but sometimes you also have to kind of be a parent in order to work with the kids because they have so many struggles in life.”

Colonel seniors Jordan Crusenberry, Corey Crisologo and Cody Lewis weighed in Saturday after the win against Middlesboro on what Hubbard has meant to the team.

“He’s really an inspiration,” said Crusenberry. “He doesn’t even know how much he means to me. He’s pushed me to be the best player I can be, and I love him.”

Crisologo recounted a time during his freshman year when Hubbard had a major heart operation. “That didn’t stop him,” he said. “Two weeks later he came back, stitches and everything, out in the hot sun. He made sure to be there to watch our games and coach us at first base. All of my four years here he has always known what to say when we get down, and he keeps us from getting too high on ourselves when things are going well. I just love that man.”

Lewis added, “He really loves the game, and I don’t think he would want to be anywhere else. Even though he’s getting older he has continued to coach. He’s always been there for me, and he’s been there for this team. He’s always pushed me to be the best I can be, and if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today. I love him to death.”

Colonels Head Coach Kyle Adams was emotional when talking about what having coach Hubbard around has meant for the team. He said, “I love him like a father, just like a lot of the players do. He’s a great person, an even better friend, and a role model to all of us. I hope that when I’m his age, if I’m still kicking around, I can model myself after him. He’s a man of many values, and a strong, Christian man. It’s a great asset to have him involved in our program and have him around these young guys. I don’t think I can say too many good things about him.”

Hubbard said that he is optimistic about the direction that the Whitley County baseball program is headed in. He commented that the Colonels now get to play in “one of the best facilities in the state,” and he said that coach Adams is a “great young coach.”

“This is a good situation for me to coach in,” he said in sum. “Especially after being a head coach for so long. I never had an opportunity to be an assistant before I was a head coach, and I thought it may be difficult to make the transition, but I just want to do what I can to help. I try to do whatever is asked of me.”