The votes are in, and Senoia Galaxy’s Jonathan Wood is the latest Braves Softball Coach of the Week winner. According to Tiffany, a nominator for the vote, the Palmetto native’s love for the sport is what sets him apart from the competition.
“He coaches my daughter’s softball team,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Not only does he coach, he teaches the girls sportsmanship and life skills. The girls love him so much! He goes above and beyond! This past season, he even continued to coach and pitch to our girls with a town ligament in his ankle. He amazes me everyday! He loves coaching and he loves those girls!”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Braves honor local youth softball and baseball coaches like Woods, ones that show exemplary leadership within their communities, each week. Gifted a $100 Kroger gift card, a baseball signed by an Atlanta Braves player and an on-field recognition at Truist Park, each winner is voted for by their peers through ajc.com.
A senior pastor at Newnan’s Bethlehem Baptist Church and owner of a landscaping business in the metro Atlanta area, Wood lives in Sharpsburg with his family. This past year, he has also been dedicated his time to the Senoia Area Athletics Softball League by coaching the Senoia Galaxy.
“Fall 2021, our girls went 12-1 and won the 6U championship that included other teams from Brooks, GA and Fayetteville, GA,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I am still so proud of them. Spring 2022 was a rebuilding season but we made it to the semifinals of the 6U playoffs and missed making it to the championship by one run! Fall 2022, I moved up to 8U and have five of my original players. 8U is a different tempo, and I like it. The girls that wanted more in 6U are shining bright, and their skills are improving every moment in practice. The season opener is September 10, 2022 and I am excited about what our girls will do this year.”
To Woods, it’s not all about winning championships. It’s about the little wins in between.
“My daughter wanted to play so I agreed to coach,” he said. “My mom, dad, and grandfather were always very active with my youth sports and bent over backwards for me and my teammates. I like softball because the pace is quick and it is easier to build momentum with the girls with ‘little wins’ within each game. A quiet little girl who is shy makes a great play and there is a pivotal momentum shift in the game. The ‘little win’ boosts the other players, the parents, the coaches, and all fans watching. Life is about little wins within each day that boosts our motivation and momentum. The sooner the girls can learn this, the better.”
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