Gary O.

I have coached at the varsity level in high school as well as working with the Police Athletic League. I was also a lead instructor at a bay area youth baseball program called Headfirst Baseball West Coast. I also have recently coached for the Junior Giants program and am a certified Double-Goal Coach with the Positive Coaches Alliance. This program stresses the importance of striving to make the youth "Better Athletes, Better People". I am also the owner and head teacher at On The GO Baseball, a program designed to teach the fundamentals and strategies, as well as history and life lessons through the game of baseball. It's all about cultivating the love and passion for the game of baseball, while inspiring the student to follow their dreams.

I started playing in T-ball at 5 years-old and advanced through the different levels of little league, playing in the all-star tournament at 12. We traveled to different cities and played teams from all over California. I then went on to play in Babe Ruth, getting a chance to play in Arizona in the all-stars, against teams from as far away as Guam.

I played three years of varsity baseball at Hayward High School. Our team won the NCS championship when I was a sophomore and I was voted to the All-League team all three years. I was also voted MVP and Mr. Clutch during my high school career.

I got an opportunity to play for a former major leaguer in Senior Babe Ruth. And again, making the all-star team, was able to travel and play against some great teams from the western region.

I then played a year and a half of college ball at Laney College before going back to my alma mater to coach.

I am a coach who focuses on the development of not only the athlete, but the human being. I am one who believes that children need to learn the game on the field, as well as off. I try to weave in life lessons that have occurred in my life, or the life of other baseball players, to show that we are all human, and are allowed to make mistakes. The game of baseball is a game of failure (3 hits in 10 at-bats is considered a good hitter), and it is a perfect sport in which to teach the importance of getting back in the box and being ready to compete. The game has so much tradition and history, that I believe that it is important to pass it down to the next generation.