Mastodon’s Troy Sanders named Regional Little League Coach of the Year: “There’s nothing I love more”
Mastodon’s Troy Sanders has been named a Regional Baseball Coach of the Year in recognition of his work with Little League.
- READ MORE: Mastodon: “We don’t talk about our feelings with each other, we just put them in the lyrics”
The bassist and singer helps out at his local Florida Little League where his son plays, serving as league president, a coach and umpire.
The US heavy metal musician was awarded the Positive Coaching Alliance’s 2024 Regional Baseball Coach of the Year back in January, which was picked up by MetalSucks this month.
Sanders, along with 35 other regional winners, were selected from more than 500 nominated coaches across the country.
“I was not expecting it and knew nothing about it until I received the email letting me know I was selected,” Sanders said in a Little League news article. “Then, once I did a little more research and learned about the nomination process that 10 of my current and former players’ parents went through for me, I was very excited and humbled.”
He added: “To have what I feel is the most natural way to coach and lead these young players recognized outside of my own circle, it helped me feel like I am doing at least something right for these kids and it just felt exciting to be recognized in this way.”
Sanders himself is a Little League alum, having played from ages five to 14, before returning to the programme 30 years later when his then eight-year-old son signed up to play.
“After two seasons of cheering on his son from the stands, Mr. Sanders began to volunteer, working in the concessions stand, assisting his son’s coach when needed, and providing snacks for the team,” Little League shared.
Sanders went on to become a coach and team manager and spent four years on the league’s Board of Directors, before being elected as League President.
“Once I started as an assistant coach, it felt like a very natural and authentic progression. My son was very interested in baseball, and still is, which has allowed me to be super close to the game and a very active volunteer,” Sanders said. “There’s nothing I love more than coaching Little League.”
Mastodon’s last album ‘Hushed And Grim’ came out in 2021, with the group sharing with NME at the time that the band had become “a dumping ground for all the negative emotions”.
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Hollie Geraghty
NME
