LYNN — For about 20 years now (he’s not exactly sure), Chad Wilkins has been in a Little League dugout managing his team. And if he hasn’t been there, he’s been an officer.
In other words, Wilkins has been a fixture in and around Wyoma Little League and with the Lynn softball program.
For the second straight year, Wilkins, 48, will take his Lynn senior girls to Worcester this weekend for the regional tournament. The winner of that goes to the World Series.
If Wilkins has been able to survive the slings and arrows of youth sports coaching for 20 years, it’s because his philosophy is simple.
“My favorite part of coaching,” he said, “is that when you see improvement in a kid, and you see her having fun, and if she can’t wait to sign up next year to play, that’s the best.
“When they come to practice early, that’s a good sign,” he said. “That means they want to keep working.”
Of course, Wilkins helps all that along by another bedrock coaching philosophy.
“It’s important that the girls have the work ethic,” Wilkins said. “But you have to make the practices fun. The more fun it is, the more they want to be there. The more they want to be there, the better they’re going to get.”
He considers himself fortunate because in all his years of coaching, “I’ve had some great kids, who come from great families.”
Included in that group of girls is his daughter, Amanda, who will be a senior at Classical next year.
Although Wilkins admits to being reticent to talk up either himself or his children, he will say that his daughter is one of the team leaders.
“Definitely,” he said. “She’s a hard worker, and she does everything 100 percent. She leads vocally and by example.”
Of course, Wilkins is quick to point out, so are all the other girls on this team, some of whom he’s known for a very long time.
“Even if I didn’t coach them myself, I’ve known them all since there were little,” he said. “I probably go back eight or nine years with some of them. I think I’ve been coaching Abby Fila since she was 10.”
One of the reasons Wilkins, married to the former Kimberly DeTour, has stuck around so long, besides his love of doing it, is his oldest son, Bryan, is quite a bit older than his other two children, James and Amanda. Once Amanda ages out at the end of this season, Wilkins says he’ll be retiring.
Several of his players have gone on to play key roles for their varsity softball teams. For example, Amanda plays first base for Classical, and she won the Sportsmanship Award at the John Holland Tournament in May. Brooke Warren pitches for the Rams. Fila is also a pitcher, and Lily Newhall, as a ninth grader, was the primary pitcher for St. Mary’s.
“I root for all of them, unless they’re playing against my daughter,” Wilkins said. “And even then, I’m happy if they do well. They’re all great kids.
“Like, Lily shut Classical down at the Holland,” he said, “but I was happy for Lily. It’s just good to see the girls do well.”
