A Call From the Big Leagues: OHSAA Participates with Ohio's Two Major League Baseball Teams

Tim Stried, OHSAA, August 20, 2009 4:20 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It is that time of year when Major League Baseball teams are making phone calls to fill holes in their roster or select players from their minor league affiliates.

Ohio's two major league teams - the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians - are no exception, but a couple of their recent calls had nothing to do with a quality relief pitcher or clutch-hitting utility infielder.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association was well-represented recently both in Cincinnati and Cleveland for a pair of different causes.

On Sunday, Aug. 2, in Cleveland, Jeff Mielcarek, president of the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2006, threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of the Indians Hall of Fame weekend. Mielcarek has been the athletic director and baseball coach at Toledo Central Catholic for 23 years, leading the Fighting Irish to a league championship in 2008 and regional runner-up finishes in 1989 and 1990.

Mielcarek looked at the honor not as an individual accolade, but as a way of representing the entire coaches association.

"I felt that way when I was the coaches association president and on the board, too," Mielcarek said. "I was just the one who got to go out there. I was representing our entire association."

The baseball coaches association has grown into an organization that works as hard off the field as its member coaches do on the field.

"We are there for our coaches, which is the whole function of our association," Mielcarek said. "The fact that we are now giving at least 15 scholarships is something we are all proud of. I am also involved with Team Ohio that goes to Oklahoma each year to represent Ohio and the coaches association is the main sponsor."

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, OHSAA Commissioner Dr. Dan Ross met with UGIVE (http://www.ugive.org/) co-founders Deana Castellini and Chris Collinsworth on Aug. 13 to talk about the OHSAA Foundation's Service Week initiatives in volleyball and basketball. Ross then went on the air with 700 WLW hall of fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman during the sixth inning of the Reds vs. Nationals game.

"Deana and Chris are wonderful people who care about kids, first and foremost," Ross said. "UGIVE is one of the organizations that we are very proud to partner with - they just 'get it.'"

Kim Mahoney with the OHSAA Foundation, who coordinates the service weeks, echoed the comments by Dr. Ross.

"Both UGIVE and the OHSAA Foundation have a common interest in service across the state," Mahoney said. "We are both all about encouraging high school students to be active leaders in their community."

Volleyball service week wraps up Aug. 29, while basketball service week will be held from Nov. 18 to Dec. 5. Additional information can be found at ugive.org and ohsaafoundation.org.

Contact: Tim Stried, tstried@ohsaa.org