By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Springfield College head baseball coach Mark Simeone picked up his 500th career coaching victory this past Sunday.
Simeone is currently in his 28th season as the head coach at Springfield, and prior to that he coached at American International College for four years. In his tenure on Alden Street, Simeone has been named NEWMAC Coach of the Year three times, and he’s also taken his teams to the NEWMAC Championship on three separate occasions.
However, Simeone is far more focused on the present, and the chase for 500 wins wasn’t a pressing matter for him.
“It’s not something I think about or dwell upon,” Simeone said. “I was told a couple weeks ago that I was a couple wins away from 500, [and] I didn’t even know it. My focus is to get these guys prepared to get out there and battle.”
Postgame on Sunday, the Pride made a point to congratulate Simeone. He was very appreciative of this gesture, especially after the team notched an important win after struggling throughout both games of a doubleheader on Saturday.
“It means a lot to me that the players recognized it,” Simeone said. “I’m proud of them for sure.”
Speaking of the players, Simeone emphasized their importance, and how he thinks they deserve a fair share of the credit for the 500 wins he’s amassed.
“You don’t coach baseball or play baseball by yourself,” Simeone said. “So all the times that we win together, there’s a lot of people involved. And I think that’s been my biggest reflection, hearing from guys with congratulations, [an] email or text message. I immediately think about them and their careers in our program, and how they were part of those wins.”
This accomplishment also brings a sense of sentimentality to Simeone, particularly with the longstanding history he started building at Springfield College even before his coaching days. The fact that Simeone reached this milestone in such a familiar place makes it more special for him.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be able to be back at my alma mater being the head baseball coach and a faculty member,” Simeone said. “It’s just a lot of gratitude I [feel] for having the opportunity to still put the uniform on and be part of Springfield College baseball, and the wins that have been accumulated over the years.”
As Simeone’s career progressed, changes in the landscape around him were inevitable – as they would be in any situation where someone works in the same job for over three decades. In his case, Simeone thinks being willing to adapt to his players’ needs has been helpful for his teams.
“Things that we may have done 25 years ago have been modified or adjusted to today’s player and today’s environment,” Simeone said. “There’s an evolution to the game and an evolution to the player. Over time, I’ve tried to adjust and meet players where they are.”
With the rapid development of baseball-related technologies, Simeone tries to strike a balance between keeping up with the advancements while also making sure his players aren’t overwhelmed. To Simeone, this puts players in the best position to succeed.
“Sometimes, what creates difficulty is over-analysis,” Simeone said. “I’ve tried to find ways as a coach to help [players] use their energies in ways that help them, as opposed to ways that make it more difficult to play a very difficult game.”
Beyond the on-field component of the job, Simeone also takes great joy in seeing his players grow as they gain experience with the team.
“It’s that maturation process [that I find] most enjoyable, seeing players develop in their skills but also develop as young men [and as] leaders in our program,” Simeone said.
Ultimately, Simeone is eager to impress upon his players the importance of enjoying the day-to-day aspects of playing baseball. As he can attest to, time has a way of flying by.
“I think the more experience that I get, the more I like to try to remind players that this is a fleeting experience,” Simeone said. “I want to remind them to value every moment of it. Every swing they take, every throw they make, every time they have the opportunity to get on the field and play a game, [it’s important for them] to give it all they got because again, it goes by fast.”
Photo courtesy: Springfield College