Legendary college baseball coach Ron Polk, the “Father of Southeastern Conference Baseball” with over 1,373 career wins, spoke at Newton County Academy’s inaugural General Baseball First Pitch Dinner Monday, sharing humorous tales and wisdom with the players and supporters.
Polk mixed humor—joking about mascots and recounting funny recruiting and game ejection stories—with powerful life lessons aimed directly at the young athletes.
His core message to the students included choosing their friends carefully, eliminating distractions (such as cell phones and social media), making a difference in other’s lives, and emphasizing that their high school years will shape their lives.
Polk closed by stressing love: coaches loving their players, players loving each other. He invited every student to shake his hand afterward and, if his words hit home, look him in the eye and say, “I understand.”
The veteran coach left the NCA players with a challenge: rise above distractions, choose the right path, be difference-makers, and build a future they can be proud of—starting right now.
