09/14/2026
There are plenty of posts, and rightfully so, about influential coaches and their impact on the lives of their players. Definitely not enough posts about the influence of players on their coach.
I have had the privilege of coaching hundreds of young men and women in my 20ish years with the clipboard. Each of those athletes have shaped me some way into the coach I am today. This post is an Ashley Blue post💙
I knew Ashley since she was 2 years old running up and down the sideline in her bee costume at Osbourn Park. 10 years later I had the pleasure of coaching her on my club team. Ashley was fiercely competitive - the type of player you loved on your sideline and hated to see in an opposing jersey. My favorite part of the person and player was how much she just plain loved it. Some things were difficult for Ashley. The volleyball court was not one of those things. She was at home in that 900 square feet.
Ashley passed away early one morning in October,2019. In her way too short time, she touched so many lives for the better - her family, friends, teammates, classmates, teachers, and coaches. If you want a glimpse into Ashley’s reach and influence, scroll down to October 2019 and see how many kids showed up at Reagan in blue, even though Ashley went to Gainesville. Because of Ashley, I am reminded that we never know all of the struggles that our athletes may be going though that we never see. That winning is great, but it better be done the right way. That hard work is going to beat talent most days. And to coach the person over the player.
Thank you Ashley and all of the athletes that have spent time in my gym, making me a better coach and a better person.💙🏐💙
