Get to know a little bit more about the new assistant football and head baseball coach on campus through a quick Q&A with coach Jody Medina. Medina was very familiar with the school’s baseball program, as he coached against the team for several years as the head coach for the Churchill Chargers. Now Medina finds himself leading a young, hungry, and talented roster. Guiding them to their first winning season and playoff berth in five years.
Q:When the job opened at MacArthur, what made you want to coach here?
A:“I coached against these guys for the last 4 years and got to see what kind of attitudes they had from the opposing side, so when the opportunity arose, I jumped on it. This was the perfect underdog opportunity to come here and show these guys how to compete, work, and most importantly, win. Along with the opportunity to work for a school that has my favorite baseball team’s colors, The Dodgers.”
Q:What were some goals that you set for yourself and your team this season?
A:“Well, the biggest goal honestly, was to teach these guys how to be great young men Chivalry is losing its place in society & I hope to bring it back! Be a gentleman, have some pride in everything you do!”
“Baseball wise, my goals for the team were to win 20 games & make a deep run in the playoffs; set a new standard for MacArthur Baseball.”
Q:With the more recent struggle of the baseball program, what have you done to be able to change the culture of the team ?
A:My mom & dad always taught us to never give up on each other or our goals, and that created a winning culture in our family. I tried to use those values along with all the things I mentioned above and set a level of expectation above anything they had ever seen. I gave them the recipe for success, and they bought into it. Players will always rise to the level of expectations that are set forth upon them. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any hiccups along the way, but that’s where I come in: to guide them when they’re lost, teach them when they don’t understand, show them when they can’t execute, encourage them when they are down, and most importantly, love them when they fail (because in baseball it is inevitable).
When you work together, sweat together, bleed together, you begin to play for each other instead of yourself and that is what a winning culture is all about! These guys bought in, and you are now seeing that come to fruition!
