MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon baseball coach Nate Hunt takes an orderly approach with his charges.
Hunt believes in the philosophy, “make the main thing, the main thing.”
“We have the ‘make-your-bed’ mentality,” the coach said. “The first thing you do in the morning is make your bed. It is a choice, a decision. Hopefully the second thing is to brush your teeth, but the first thing is to make your bed.”
As soon as home games end, players grab rakes, shovels, sand and tarps and begin grooming the field for the next contest.
Hunt believes that winning is secondary to building character.
“You win with people,” Hunt said. “It’s not so much wins and losses, they are a part of it, but when you look at our program, I want you to see good people.
“You build good people and winning becomes a byproduct.”
Hunt is well on his way to a successful career. Already he’s reached the 100-win plateau. He is quick to give credit to a man who mentored him as a player.
“I had the opportunity to be coached by a Hall of Fame Coach (the late) Dave Klontz. He coached at Heath High School for 45 years,” Hunt said of the two-time state champion. “He taught that you talk to kids as opposed to yelling at them and just building them up because they are going to make mistakes.
“He (Klontz) would always say, ‘(Mistakes) are not the end of the road. It is a bend in the road. The only problem is if you miss the turn,’” Hunt said.
That kind of personal touch is a critical aspect in a coach’s relationship with his players.
“When one of the players makes a mistake, you put your arm around them and you talk to them, you probably saw me do that today,” Hunt said after a game last week.
Togetherness is another word familiar to the team.
“We have been together since the week after Thanksgiving,” the coach reflected. “We have great facilities, like the fieldhouse. These guys have to put the work in.
“These guys have worn me out in the best way possible. The 100 wins is great but I just tell them (the players) that I am just facilitating.”
Coach Hunt knows there is always room for improvement.
“What his team has done with their mistakes has been remarkable,” Hunt said. “We were 3-5 to start the year and now we have won 12 out of 13.”
Hunt is flanked by his supporting staff of coaches, Josh White, Joel Laszlo and Tony Franz.
“These people are the reason the field looks as great as it does,” the coach said.
On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets will host Franklin Heights in the district semifinals.