The latest round of voting for Braves Coach of the Week has come to a close, and All Sports Fusion’s Jackey Felker has snagged 53% of the tally! A 10U softball coach who comes with high praise from his peers, Felker is a community cornerstone to Bremen, Georgia.
This summer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Braves are working together to honor youth baseball and softball coaches that are making an impact in their local communities. According to some of his team’s parents, Felker fits the bill perfectly.
“The girls respect him,” Christy told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We always believed in each of the girls. He teaches them that we are a family and we support each other.”
Credit: Jackey Felker
Credit: Jackey Felker
A key part in gaining that hard-earned respect, according to another parent, is Felker’s commitment to pushing his players to be their best through support and encouragement.
“He makes sure that the girls learn the game the right way,” Brenda Hall said. “He makes sure the girls are always having fun and constantly encourages them. He pushes them to be the very best they can be and inspires the girls everyday.”
It’s a virtue for which parent Kayela Ledford commended the All Sports Fusion coach.
“Jackey is a great coach because he cares for each and every player on his team,” she said. “He encourages them and gives each one of them a chance to show their true potential! He teaches them to work hard and never give up!”
Credit: Jackey Felker
Credit: Jackey Felker
To Felker, the joy of coaching doesn’t come from commendation. It comes from helping the community, a mentality shared by several other Braves Coach of the Week recipients.
“It means a lot getting to watch the girls in my community get to learn fundamentals to a sport they love and have fun while learning,” Felker told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Having snagged two runner-up championship rings and 12 season wins, Felker’s travel ball team did quite well in 2022. Through encouragement and support, Felker said his players grew immensely through the season — a great point of pride for the Braves Coach of the Week winner.
“I am most proud of the improvement our team made at each tournament and practice,” he said. “Our team started off the season with half of our team coming from recreational softball, they had never played in a travel ball setting. By the end of the season each girl had made huge improvements, especially with learning that tournaments take a lot of time and effort 4-7 games in one day takes drive and endurance, and they all also bonded and came together as a team.”
Felker’s passion for the sport has not only radiated to his team and their parents. He has two daughters, Nevada and Stormee, who are stepping up to the plate.
“I have always had a passion for baseball from youth all the way through high school, but now I have two daughters Nevada and Stormee who both have a passion for softball and I love getting to watch them grow in the sport and support them,” he said. “Stormee is a player on my current team.”
To Felker, the sport is about more than winning games. It’s about the teachable moments along the way.
“Softball is a fun sport, it takes a lot of dedication but it teaches you to never give up and to work hard to accomplish your dreams,” he said. “It takes the dedication of the parent and the player, practice is where it is, attendance and constant practice not just on the field but also at home. I promise if you push yourself to work hard you will see the outcome.”
It’s a point that the highly praised coach wants other team leaders to pick up on.
“In the softball world today not every child is given a chance to learn fundamentals,” he said. “I just would like to say to other coaches if you chose a child to be on your team, work with them and help them to find their full potential sitting on the bench will not help them to thrive as a player. Winning is not everything!”
As the Braves Softball Coach of the Week, Felker will receive a $100 Kroger gift card and a baseball autographed by an Atlanta Braves player.
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