IRMO, S.C. (WIS) - Irmo Little League Baseball Coach Mike Beckworth has a striking pregame ritual.
Every game without fail, before his team bats for the first time, Beckworth walks down the third base line and draws two initials and a number in the dirt: DB -18.
The initials are for his son, Danny who passed in 2011 in an ATV accident on Miles Bowman road in Irmo at the age of 14.
“He was a happy go lucky kid,” Beckworth said. “He actually was on the school basketball team and school baseball team.”
“He seemed like he was at that age where he was just starting to blossom. And then we lost him,” Beckworth continued.
“That’s just my life now.”
“I have a saying: for those of you that’s lost a child, I know how you feel. For those of you that haven’t, I hope and pray you never experience that pain,” Mike continued.
Mike has tattoos of his son’s baseball and basketball numbers on each of his ankles. He said he got them, after a photo of his son in a locket began to fade.
“I decided to get the tattoos. That way, he’s with me every step,” Beckworth explained.
Mike and his wife Lynda have remained married through the difficult loss. He says he was told only 15 percent of couples remain married after losing a child.
“If we ever get into an heated argument, we look at each other and say, ‘Remember 15 percent,’” Mike said.
In the aftermath of the accident, Beckworth said the pain and the anger was overwhelming. But his son’s former coach reached out and asked Mike to help him coach Little League, and it proved to be a game changer.
“I had a gentleman by the name of Casey Estridge asked me to come out and help,” Mike said.
It wasn’t long before Mike was hooked.
Nearly 10 years later, Beckworth is a fixture at the Irmo Little League passing on his vast baseball knowledge.
“I don’t have a kid on a team, so they know that I don’t show any favoritism. I go based on what I see.”
On any given summer night, you may see Beckworth at his place in the coaches box on the third base line or leading his team through instructions in the huddle.
“Instead of trying to help one kid get better- I feel like I’m trying to help 13 to 14 kids get better. "
These days, one of the coaches at the league asks Mike to assist, year after year.
“As long they keep asking me, I’m coming out here,” Mike said.
The community support in Irmo and at the Little League makes all the difference as well.
“First of all, this community has been so good to me. Since that happened, I told my wife that if she wanted to move, I’m not moving.”
With those tattoos on each leg, each game he carries Danny’s spirit forward, to every kid he coaches.
“I don’t know it’s hard to explain sometimes. It’s just the love of the game and the love of the kids.”
“If it wasn’t for the kids I wouldn’t be out here.”
While coaching, Mike says he still feels his son’s presence on the field from time to time, especially every time he writes those initials and Danny’s number in the dirt.
“I put his initials and his number in the dirt before every game.”
A memory like that, just can’t be erased.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2024 WIS. All rights reserved.
"lasting" - Google News
June 29, 2024 at 07:53AM
https://ift.tt/3lELkiH
Irmo Little League coach honors his late son, leaves a lasting legacy - WIS News 10
"lasting" - Google News
https://ift.tt/T0dQm9Z
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Irmo Little League coach honors his late son, leaves a lasting legacy - WIS News 10"
Post a Comment