Dismissing a player from a team is obviously devastating for a player who loves the game and has been playing since he was six or seven years old. It’s also gut-wrenching for a coach to experience, if he has any heart at all.
Bob Silvanik was an unusual situation from the get-go. The right-hander attended Kent State University to play baseball after a solid career at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, Kentucky. I was a in my second year at the University of Kentucky. Bob wanted to play in his hometown, so he transferred and participated in the open tryouts during his first fall semester at UK, hoping to make the team as a walk-on. During tryouts, he didn’t show the velocity that I thought was needed for a Southeastern Conference pitcher, so after a couple of weeks I cut Bob from the team.
The following day, Bob called to see if he could stop by the office to discuss his future. When he arrived at my office, I could tell that he was upset. I asked Bob if he thought he had been given a fair chance to make the team and his response caught me off guard. With more than a little fire in his eyes he said, “Coach, you’ve made a big mistake.”
There was something in my gut that told me that I should handle this situation with care. I responded by saying, “Bob, if you think we made that big of a mistake, why don’t you show up at practice this afternoon and we can give you another look.” He came to practice with that same fire in his eyes and was all business on the mound. His velocity was perhaps a little better, but what really impressed me was his slider and his competitiveness. I decided to add him to the roster to give us a little more pitching depth.
Not only did he make the team, but he also broke the school record for saves in his senior year. I’m so thankful he showed up in my office after being cut and had the courage to tell me that I had made a mistake!
Bob went on to have a successful career in the political arena and later changed career paths to attend seminary and become a pastor (Bob would be the first to tell you that this career move was somewhat of a miracle). He also, at one time, was both a pastor and the baseball coach at Asbury University.
Several years ago, Bob and I were roommates on a short-term mission trip in the Dominican Republic. Each day, we gave free clinics to the passionate young baseball players in the D.R. While on that trip, we traveled to a remote village perhaps 15 miles from San Pedro de Macoris. The name of the small village is Los Altos. The only motorized vehicle in the village was the small bus we came in on. We spoke at the only “church” in the village which met in the shade of a large tree. I was scheduled to speak to the small gathering, but after we arrived, I asked Bob if he would share a message of faith to the village.
As Bob spoke, there was a large, dark cloud moving in our direction. It was one of those intense tropical thunderstorms that seemed to arrive almost too quickly to take cover. I quietly asked the young pastor, Manny Tucen, “Where do they go to worship when it rains?” He said they had to return to their homes because there was no place for them to meet.
Something powerful was stirring within me while Bob was speaking. He was oblivious to the approaching storm and to the two dogs fighting so close to him that I thought they may attack him. The villagers never took their eyes off Bob. I had never been so proud of him. This powerful stirring within me was God saying, “You need to build a church for these people so that they can worship and have fellowship out of the heat and the storms.” It wasn’t an audible message from God, but it was intense. Fortunately, the storm skirted around us, and Bob was able to finish his message.
After returning home the following week I shared this experience with one of my friends, not quite knowing what to make of it. He immediately said, “I don’t know how much it costs to build a small church in the Dominican Republic, but I will give $500 toward the project.”
Everyone I shared the story with offered, without me asking, a sizeable amount of money so that the people in Los Altos could have a church. I finally asked Pastor Manny, “How much does it cost to build a church large enough for the small congregation in Los Altos?” He talked to a builder and came up with the amount of $15,000, not including labor. Within two weeks I had the amount needed to build the church. A group from North Carolina traveled down to donate their skills to build the church in Los Altos in just one week!
Nowadays, Bob lives in Illinois and we don’t see each other very often, but we remain good friends, which is what happens with former players and former coaches. I am very proud of Bob Silvanik. The church at Los Altos continues to serve the people of the village. I traveled back there a few years ago, and the pastor and congregation gave a small gift to me that I treasure. It’s a candle reminding me of the warmth of the people there and how they “let their light shine.”
As a coach, the relationships you are building now will last for many years to come. And, sometimes it’s good to listen to the players we coach and see the competitive fire in their eyes before making a decision that may affect their lives in a powerful way.