Melanie Grubb poses for a photo. Grubb was named one of the Little League and Lance Crackers Coaches of the Year.
For the past few years, the Lance Sandwich Crackers organization has been committed to recognizing Little League coaches across the country with its annual Coach of the Year award.
It is an exciting and awe-inspiring time for these coaches, their players and their communities as their efforts on and off the field are recognized and the accomplishment comes with a generous donation to their league and a trip to South Williamsport.
Although the challenge has grown each year, and this year there were over 3,500 nominations, that didn’t stop them from recognizing these outstanding individuals. With the help of Little League and the Positive Coaching Alliance, they worked for several months to compile a record list of outstanding candidates.
“Our selection process for the 2024 Coach Award winners is very thorough as we receive so many outstanding nominations for deserving coaches,” said Victoria Strang, Lance’s marketing director, about the process.
“We consider personal stories or anecdotes that give us a more comprehensive picture of the coach’s impact. We also carefully evaluate how well the coach fulfills the qualities we look for in a Coach of the Year award winner – such as being a trustworthy and positive role model, demonstrating strong leadership skills and showing respect for other teams, officials and leagues.”
Rod Hurt was named one of the Little League and Lance Crackers Coaches of the Year.
At the fifth annual awards ceremony, Lance recognized Michael Umpierre (baseball), Melanie Grubb (softball) and Rod Hurt (Challenger) as coaches of the year in their respective divisions. This year, they decided to announce the award by surprising the honorees on their home field.
“The coaches were told there would be a last-minute practice game, but when they entered the field they were greeted by a large crowd cheering them on,” said Strang. “It was a truly special moment that allowed the coaches to celebrate with their personal fan base and showed them the huge impact these coaches have on the lives of others.”
It was an incredible experience for the trio and they described the moment they entered the field as “surreal” and “humbling”.
“It is incredibly humbling. I feel so honored. It is a memory I will have for the rest of my life, it left me speechless,” expressed Umpierre. “For me, the award is more than just an award for me as an individual. It is a reflection of the incredible community we have at Capital City Little League (in Washington DC).”
“Beyond my wildest dreams, I was lucky enough to win the prize,” said Hurt. “It’s very humbling. It brings me back down to earth very quickly. It was a complete surprise and full circle because I played in Little League in the ’70s.”
Michael Umpierre was named one of the Little League and Lance Crackers Coaches of the Year.
“I drove to the field and everyone was there. My city, the mayor, the county were there. They gave me proclamations. It was just unbelievable.” said Grubb. “I was really humbled. I’ve put a lot of years into it and it’s just so exciting. I’ve never been to Williamsport. I’m so excited.”
The trio will be honored Saturday at Lamade Stadium, where they will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Sioux Falls-Staten Island game at 3 p.m.
Here’s a look at the recipients.
Michael Umpierre
Michael Umpierre is relatively new to Little League Baseball. He began his coaching career three years ago and has been the manager of the AAA Waterdogs for the past two years. With the encouragement of his wife, he took on the challenge and has enjoyed it ever since.
Michael Umpierre poses for a photo. Umpierre was named one of the Little League and Lance Crackers Coaches of the Year.
“I have had a passion for baseball all my life. I grew up playing baseball and my father coached me in Little League,” said Umpierre, who also serves as director of Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. “I never thought I would be here, but I am so happy to be here and to be able to coach my son Alexander and my daughter Josephine.”
After playing under his father as a child in Cuba, coaching his children was a full-circle experience for him. Since beginning his coaching career, he has worked to pass on the life lessons he learned during that time to others.
“My father is my biggest inspiration as a coach. He viewed baseball as a medium to learn life lessons and do things beyond the sport.” said Umpierre. “The focus was always on developing a strong work ethic and seeing yourself as part of the team, as part of a larger community.”
“The Waterdogs won the AAA championship in the Capital City Little League this year, and I think the reason for our success is because we focused on those things. We focused on having fun and growing individually as players,” he added.
As long as his children play, he probably wants to continue coaching Little League.
Melanie Grubb was named one of the Little League and Lance Crackers Coaches of the Year.
“Who knows if I’ll get other coaching jobs in the future? But I still have a few years here at Capital City Little League to continue to influence the young people who come through our league.” said Umpierre.
Melanie Grubb
Before receiving her award, Melanie Grubb devoted a lot of time to the Woolwich Township, New Jersey team she coaches and the league it is in. She began coaching 14 years ago and also became a member of the league’s board of directors.
About six years after its launch, she became president of the league.
“I took on the leading role to help my children,” said Grubb. “I have four kids, so I knew if they all played in Little League, I would be in it for the long haul.”
Her coaching style, which emphasizes fun, positivity, sportsmanship and camaraderie, inspired members of her community to nominate her for the award, recognizing her impact on children.
“Always having fun is the most important thing. I think positive coaching is what you need and I got a lot of that in my younger years. When they’re young and just learning, it’s so much fun because they don’t know anything yet. You tell them to run to first base and they run the other way.” said Grubb.
“Then when they’re a little older, you see how they develop. They learn the game and all that, and then they become your friends, lifelong friends, so to speak. It’s so special to see the journey they take in life.”
Grubb has been coaching long enough to see some of her former players compete at the college level. She expects to continue coaching at the Little League level for quite some time and has no plans to coach at other levels at this time.
“When I see the children smiling and enjoying themselves, it’s all worth it. When you get to the higher classes, it’s just a lot,” explained Grubb.
Rod injured
Before Rod Hurt moved to the Challenger Division, he had great difficulty finding a place for his son Bobby in Little League Baseball.
Because of his disability, it was impossible for him to keep up with the other kids in Little League and Rec League. But he never gave up on giving his son this valuable experience, and eventually he found the perfect opportunity for him.
“Honestly, it was probably very discouraging and frustrating when the first few seasons didn’t go so well,” said Hurt.
“It was truly a blessing to find Challenger as a special division of Little League that caters to the needs of those who are physically or mentally challenged in some way. He really thrived in that area, so his success made it very easy for me to continue to be a part of the program.”
Hurt started out as a fan cheering on his son from the sidelines, but a few years later he was asked to help out on the team’s bench. He soon climbed the coaching ladder, eventually becoming a manager.
He has been a part of the league for over 20 years now – and has spent over 15 years as a coach in just about every position you can imagine. He was honored with this award for inspiring his players to be good teammates, good friends and good citizens for over a decade and a half.
“It really goes beyond baseball,” said Hurt, who coaches in District 68 in California. “There are families who struggle to find the perfect youth sport for their child. If I can help grow Challenger in any way, whether as a coach or at the district level, I would love for other families to benefit from what we had.”
He has found his home at Challenger and wants to stay there as a coach for as long as possible.
Each coach expressed their deep gratitude to Lance, Little League and the Positive Coaching Alliance for the honor and experience. It is an award that continues to grow in significance, that gives great people even more pride and humility in what they do, and an experience they will likely never forget.
This problem is unlikely to go away anytime soon.
