Danbury Baseball Coach Nominated for National Coach of the Year

Will Danbury's Shaun Ratchford be named the country's Coach of the Year?

The NewsTimes recently reported that only eight coaches from across the United States have been nominated for the prestigious award and Danbury's veteran baseball coach is one of those eight. Ratchford will kick off his 35th year as Danbury High's Varsity baseball coach this spring.

In 2017 he was named Connecticut's Baseball Coach of the Year. The winners for the national award will be announced in Bismarck, North Dakota in June. Under Ratchford's guidance, Danbury has won a pair of FCIAC titles and a Class LL championship. Danbury Senior Ryan Solomine told the NewsTimes that Ratchford has always been a motivating force.

He stays up until 12 a.m. to write the practice plans. He gives us drills to work on and let's players stay after practice for extra help.

Ratchford's love affair with baseball began in his teen years when he played on the Danbury Varsity baseball team. As a young man, he would travel to spring training to observe the Yankees, Phillies, and Brewers where he picked up professional coaching techniques by watching and learning. For an in-depth look at coach Shaun Ratchford, click on the website baseballthemag.com.