I started coaching when I was 17 years old at the YMCA in Madison, Wisc. Throughout my career, I coached by three simple rules: Have fun, be a good teammate, respect the game.

At this point in my life, I’ve made the difficult decision to move from the dugout and the sidelines to the stands. I’ll be watching and cheering for our teams and players from a new view.

I am retiring from coaching.

I’d like to thank:

My wife for encouraging me to coach. My sons, Max and Eli, who got me out on the baseball field coaching Little League.

Bruce Stewart, who was kind enough to invite me to help him with the 12-year-old all star baseball team in the summer of 2005. I am proud to have been part of Martha’s Vineyard Little League as a coach and board member for the past 12 years.

Mike Joyce, who invited me to join him 10 years ago in the MVRHS boys basketball program as the freshman coach, and, for the past eight years as his assistant. Mike has built a program Vineyarders can all be proud of. Mike thanks for opportunity to work with you.

Gary Simmons, for inviting me to join him for the past eight years at the field of dreams to coach boys baseball at MVRHS. It has been great to work with these young men and watch Vineyard baseball grow into a thriving six-month activity for our Island kids.

I want to give a special thanks to James O’Keefe and Don Pellegrini for giving me my first opportunity to coach in a high school program. In 1986 I was named the assistant coach for boys’ basketball team at West Roxbury High School. A special shout out to all of those young men (now old men), who embraced me as their coach.

Most off all, I want to thank all the players for their trust, hard work and dedication. Being your coach has made my life better.

From the Westie kids who would wake me up on a Sunday morning to work out at Fallon Field, to the Vineyard kids who would play every day if someone would open the gym or hit them ground balls, thank you.

Sam Berlow
West Tisbury