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Schools

Mustangs Making Their Run

Monte Vista Christian baseball in contention for a league title this season.

For Monte Vista Christian baseball team head coach Don Keathley, his fourth season in charge is already a year of firsts.

“It’s like I told the kids before the year, I’m in uncharted territory here also. It’s the first time I’ve been a head coach this long. It’s the first time I’ve had a freshmen group come all the way through my program,” said Keathley.

Sitting at 6-1 in Monterey Bay League play and 10-3 overall this season, Keathley and the MVC Mustangs are in position to reach their next big first together—an outright league championship. While the team pursues that goal, Keathley and his squad will not obsess over wins and losses, instead focusing on the process and playing their games within the system Keathley teaches; one that focuses on attention to detail, open communication, and player ownership of the program. This sets the table for effective practices where Keathley teaches his players the way they need to play to succeed.

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In the age of travel baseball and close to year-round competition outside of high school, practice can easily feel boring by comparison.

“The biggest thing we tried to change was for kids to enjoy going to practice. We do different things every day,” said Keathley. “I try to coach as if I’m still a player; what do I want to do at practice? How can I take all the stuff I learned as a player and let’s create the most ideal environment for kids to want to come to practice. We want our practices to go fast and when it’s done want a little bit more.”

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Senior Sam Thorne, MVC’s top pitcher and starting catcher agrees.

“I don’t think you’ll find a better run practice in the area. There’s no standing around ever. There’s a lot of little details that coach Keathley has, and that’s part of it to,” said Thorne.

By creating an environment that fosters open communication, players and assistant coaches can tell Keathley what about practice they like, don’t like and also propose new things to try.

“Through this year we still do a lot of stuff that kids have suggested. And they end up having a lot of ownership because it’s theirs and it is. I’ve told them all the time, it doesn’t say Don Keathley High School out front, it says Monte Vista Christian, so they like that; it’s their program.”

Keathley’s belief in learning from everyone began well before he took over at MVC.

“This is only my second head coaching job. In my 14 years in Houston I was only a head coach one year,” said Keathley. “The head coaches that I worked for as an assistant, I took something from every single one of those guys, because if you don’t you’re an idiot. You have to learn stuff from people that are above you.”

The success MVC baseball has had so far this year and whatever wins and losses come before season’s end, is the result of much more than just this season’s effort.

“What we’re seeing varsitry wise is these kids are getting the reward for the hard work they’ve put in in previous years,” said Keathley.

The same can be said for their coach.

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