I was blessed to grow up here in Vancouver, on NW 149th Street, in the days when even my oldest brother Mike could not hit another house with a rock.…
“Hey, Siri. What’s the temperature at Poipu Beach?” It had been a frustrating hour for my student and me. Romy had been trying his best to copy the stride of…
The text messages were still coming more than twelve hours after I watched Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo stuff the baseball into his left rear pocket. An instant earlier,…
A businessman was trying to coax his son to jump into his arms from the cement deck of the swimming pool in which the man was wading, chest deep. The young…
“Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.” — Will Rodgers, American Cowboy and Humorist At 84, my father can still recite much of…
At twenty-three, I was easily the oldest member of a rag tag group of college players from the Northwest spending its spring break barnstorming through Southern California in March of 1989.…
Annie Savoy believed in the Church of Baseball. I do, too. The Ballpark Henrietta from Ron Shelton's Bull Durham tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones…
ONE DAY YEARS AGO, I SAT IN HANK JONES'S KITCHEN. Hank was a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had known me since I was fifteen years old, helped…
As the evening sun sets over Portland’s West Hills, cooling the October air and narrowing the gap between its temperature and the dew point, tiny droplets of water born high…
In Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA convention. Nineteen times since, many of the same…
With two outs and the Royals’ Eric Hosmer on third base, the New York Mets were a mere out away from winning Game 5 and forcing the 2015 World Series…
Among my greatest baseball memories: getting to see Rocky Gale play in the Big Leagues, at Dodger Stadium, against Kershaw. A thrill for an old coach. Thanks to Rocky Gale,…
At what age do adult males stop wearing a game jersey that doesn't belong to them?
Over the years there have been countless times I've looked at a field and joked, "It ain't Dodger Stadium." well, guess what...
Having been a college head coach and clinic speaker for twenty years, I am highly qualified to assist amateur players at all levels. From helping the youth player develop the physical skills needed for success, to fine tuning the physical and mental skills of the most gifted college and professional prospects, my knowledge and passion for teaching will help you reach your potential. And with twenty years’ experience as a college recruiter, I am in a unique position to provide college-bound student-athletes with an unmatched glimpse into the world of college recruiting, NCAA regulations, admissions, financial aid, and the many factors involved in making a great college selection. // Find Out More About Coach Sperry
On February 1, 1998, I was hired as the head baseball coach at the University of Portland, where I would spend the next 18 seasons. In that role, I managed all areas of the Pilots' NCAA Division I baseball program. I also singlehandedly created the Diamond Dinner & Auction, the largest and most visible event of its kind at the University of Portland, and helped coordinate the annual Friends of Pilots Baseball Golf Tournament. These two events raised more than 600K to supplement scholarships, team travel, recruiting, equipment and uniforms, and to fund an assistant coaching position. Additionally, I served a critical leadership role in securing and nurturing long-term relationships with donors who funded more than $2M worth of new construction, including the Andy Pienovi Hitting Facility and the complete renovation of Joe Etzel Field. Most rewarding, perhaps, were the invitations by faculty to speak annually in sociology, philosophy, and life skills classes.
After two years building the program in Centralia, I was provided the opportunity to join Dave Dangler’s staff at Portland State University, where I served as recruiting coordinator and coached hitters, infielders, and catchers. But the experience was short-lived …
Shortly after completing my course work at Heritage University (Toppenish, WA) in 1995, I was issued an Initial Teaching Certificate, K-8, the credential I needed to teach and continue coaching high school baseball, which was my plan while I waited to fulfill my dream of coaching in college. As it turned out, I never spent a day as a classroom teacher. Instead, I was hired to be the head baseball coach at Centralia College where I realized my dream of becoming a college baseball coach. It was at Centralia that I cut my teeth with an underfunded program, hiring one volunteer assistant coach and overseeing all competitive aspects of the program, in addition to recruiting, fundraising, facilities, and academics, while teaching PE activity classes. I even mowed lawns on campus and coached the Centralia Baggers American Legion team to help make ends meet.
My first paid coaching job came in 1991, as an assistant to Mike Archer and the Yakima Valley Pepsi-Pak American Legion (Selah, WA). In 1993, the program won its first Washington State Championship. Outfielder Chris Magruder and pitcher Josh Pearce, who would play for me at two future stops, both reached the Major Leagues. From 1992-95, I assisted the late Pete Orgill at Davis High School in Yakima, WA where I converted Pete’s son, Peter, into a catcher and a professional prospect.
Completed my course work at Heritage University (Toppenish, WA) in 1995 and earned an Initial Teaching Certificate, K-8, the credential I needed to teach and coach high school baseball.
Majors in both Marketing and Management.