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04/20/2017 12:00 AMMarty Magzag has traveled around the state as a coach of youth and amateur baseball. This spring, Marty felt that it was time to broaden his horizons to the high school level, and that decision led to him joining the promising program that is the Hand baseball family.
Marty played baseball for New Fairfield High School, and he’s since enjoyed several AAU and travel coaching jobs on the diamond, including stints in Simsbury, Waterbury, and Hamden. When Marty decided that he wanted to step into the high school ranks, he threw his hat in the ring, and now he’s in the midst of his first season as Hand’s freshman baseball coach.
“I had coached in AAU and travel baseball from Northern Connecticut all the way down to Hamden, so I decided to throw my résumé out there for a high school position,” says Marty, a Southington resident. “I knew Madison had a great reputation with sports, so I interviewed with [Hand Athletic Director Craig Semple] and [Tigers’ Head Coach Travis LaPointe]. We clicked, it all came together, and I ended up here.”
Marty takes a crawl-before-you-walk approach when it comes to teaching youngsters the game of baseball. Marty always tries to strike the right mixture of levity and competitiveness on the field, while additionally emphasizing that his athletes perform their best when it comes to academics.
“You have to do the basics first. If you can field a ground ball and swing the right ways, then the spectacular stuff will come later. I try to do my best to show them the basics,” Marty says. “I also want them to have fun and know the balance between having fun and too much fun. They need to understand that it’s more serious at the high school level. I teach them that school is way more important. I’m more passionate about having the kids become better in school and as family members.”
As one who coaches a sport that features so many variables to consider and stats to look over, Marty feels that it’s great when his athletes just lock in and find the focus that will help them get that crucial base hit or strikeout.
“It’s up to that player to go out there and have the mental capacity to perform on the field,” he says. “It’s a joy to see them when they perform at a higher level and have fun.”
Coach LaPointe feels confident that the Tigers’ varsity team will be getting a great pipeline of prospects with Marty at the helm of Hand’s freshman squad.
“Marty is an inspirational role model that would make any baseball program better. He has a passion for baseball and helping teenagers grow into responsible, hard-working young men,” says LaPointe. “He has been a blessing, and we are very fortunate to have him as a part of our family. He will solidify our freshman program and will help those players develop the skill and toughness that is needed to compete at the next level.”
Marty says that he’s aiming to go beyond teaching the boys the techniques of the game in his capacity as the Tigers’ freshman skipper. One of the most important things for Marty is that his athletes band together and work toward a greater cause throughout their high school careers.
“Our philosophy with the program is to have the kids learn as freshmen what will be expected of them in the coming years. We want to prepare them to take on more responsibilities as they get older and help the next group of freshmen as sophomores,” says Marty. “We want the kids to understand that while baseball can move slowly, things can happen quickly in a game and they have to be prepared. We want them to always be there for the younger kids and build that family atmosphere. We, as coaches, want to help everyone along.”