Welcome to “Making a Difference!” Step into the inspiring world of business owners who are making a tangible difference in their communities. Join us as we spotlight passionate entrepreneurs who go beyond profit, dedicating their time, resources, and innovative ideas to create positive social impact. Today our host, Greg Chapman, spoke with Ryan Reeves and BJ Chandler.
Ryan Reeves
Senior Project Manager for Metro Power
Website Address: metropower.com
BJ Chandler
Pastor of Sending and Equipping at The Church of Eleven22
Website Address: coe22.com
Transcript:
Greg:
Hi. Welcome back to Making a Difference. I’m your host, Greg Chapman. Today I have two great guests with me, the coaches of Breakers Beach Frogs.
Ryan:
That’s where we cut our teeth. That’s right, the Beach Frogs.
Greg:
BJ and Ryan, tell us about yourself. What do you do? Where do you work? How’s life going? Go for it.
Ryan:
So my name’s Ryan Reeves, and I work with Metro Power. I’m a senior project manager within. We do large electrical, commercial, commercial work. What I really enjoy about working with Metro Power is the PPC Foundation. So they’re the larger part of the larger parent organization of Metro Power, and they’ve got a great foundation. And what they try to do is donate 10% of their pretax profits to nonprofit organizations that qualify. So that was one of the things that really got me interested in Metro power and love to see the giving back to the community and the ability that we had to share that. It’s cool. That’s a big deal. It is. Yeah.
Greg:
How about B.J.? Yeah, man.
Ryan:
Greg, good to see you. It’s been a minute. I am. I get the privilege of being one of the pastors at the church of 1122. I get to help shepherd and steward our mission work. So all things from local nonprofits to church planting at the edges of the ends of the earth. I get to help with those things and shepherd that team. And we just do it all simply, whether it’s here in Jacksonville or in Jessup or soon to be down in Orlando for Africa or Asia, it’s just to reach one more person with the good news of Jesus. And I’m having a ball. It’s great.
Greg:
Yeah, that’s one thing I love about SCA. It is kind of in step with that. I mean, we’re all about the Great Commission with our mission to lead every coach and athlete to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and his church. And it’s about the church, about FCA. So what brings you two together is, is sport baseball? I know you both personally. You both have baseball backgrounds and both played at Fletcher. Yeah, several years apart. Yeah. BJ’s the baby at the table.
Ryan:
So that’s true. It’s true.
Greg:
Old men table. Glad you’re here.
Ryan:
Trying to catch up with a few Fletcher boys. Let me absorb the wisdom. That was the first night we met. We were hanging out at the batting cages in Atlantic Beach and kind of feeling each other out. You know, we just met and did, like, the handshake. And who are you? And sizing each other up, and we just hit it off real quick. I didn’t realize we’re beach kids and had the same kind of coaches and went to Fletcher. Yeah, coach Ward, coach Ward, chain smoking in the dugout about coaches that make an impact. We remember one of our little League coaches from 30 years ago, whether for better, better or for worse, they certainly make an impact.
Greg:
Yeah. So today I know a lot of the reason why you coach is because your kids are the same age. And so yeah. What better way to be involved in your kid’s life and have an impact on their friends, their bodies as they grow up? It’s it’s coach them. You know, it’s part of the reason why I still coach. My kids are in high school. And so I never want to sell short. Like, I fully believe that the level in which you’re coaching is just as important as the college coaches that we interview and high school coaches and some of our our professional athletes that we’ve interviewed on the show, a lot of times, some of the the best memories, most fondest memories they have of a coach are literally coaches after, you know, some of their youth league high school coaches. And so every every age group is important because at every age group you’re instilling something in their life. I fully believe, if nothing else, the age that you’re coaching as a coach, if they don’t love and want to play next season, the sport that you’re coaching, then you’ve failed.
Ryan:
As a coach. That is the goal. It’s man. Do we want to get better? Do we want to build character? All those kinds of things. But you get more opportunities to do that if you help the kid fall in love with the sport. And that’s our goal. Absolutely. That was our goal with the beach frogs. We want these kids to love baseball. Yeah. And I actually started. I didn’t coach the first season that my son played baseball, but he had such a poor experience with the coast. I said, I’ve got to step in. I can’t I can’t do that bad. That’s a bad experience. Yeah, but I do have the honor of being in the last five years, the most requested coach over at Jax Beach before we went over to Atlantic Beach, because that is the goal with the good guy. I want him to. You want him to love baseball, and you want him to love the environment that they’re around, interacting with their teammates, interacting with their coaches. So it’s just a great experience that they’re learning. Not only is baseball the most difficult sport that there is to accomplish and do well and succeed at, but they’re developing grit, determination, and those are the kind of things that we want our young men to develop.
Greg:
Yeah. Billy Graham said that a coach will impact more lives in one year. A normal person will live their entire lifetime. How does that sit with you?
Ryan:
I agree 100%. And you can see it in the kid’s eyes. What’s so great and why? I love coaching little kids in baseball when you’ve got a kid not necessarily the most talented kid, but works hard, makes eye contact with you, can see that they’ve got that desire and that willpower to get better. Maybe not necessarily for me, but to help me to impress my parents, to impress my coaches. But when you make that contact and that first time they catch that pop fly, or the first time they feel that ground ball and throw over to first base, they grinned ear to ear and they’re looking over at the coaches. They’re looking at the parents, and they’re just smiling ear to ear. I mean, that is what it’s all about. Yeah, because you can impact them on a one on one level, and you’ve got an opportunity with 12 kids every season to be able to do that. So definitely impactful. That’s right.
BJ:
They’re just looking at you for not just affirmation. And they want to excel and perform well, but they’re looking at you for instruction and direction and help me get better. Help me take one step. And meant to be invited into the development of a young man or woman. I mean, we’re coaching these boys, but to be invited in on that is a privilege and a gift. And it’s like this sacred space of, I get to help this boy develop a little bit more into a man, a little bit more into a person of character, a little bit more into somebody that perseveres. You know, and baseball is a game of you better persevere because you’re going to strike out especially. Yeah, exactly. Some more beach frogs.
Ryan:
And
BJ:
You’re.
Ryan:
A phenomenal baseball player if you’re a successful one out of three times.
BJ:
But just even the life helping them apply that life principle of, hey, you know what the most important play is the next one. Yeah. You know, pull yourself back up, dust your boots off, whatever it is, and get back in there. What a life lesson to help these kids learn early.
Greg:
Yeah, we do training with FCA. It’s called 3D coaching. And we’ve walked a bunch of coaches through 3D. And maybe one day we can take baseball. Coaches do it.
BJ:
But we need some help, that’s for sure. Absolutely.
Greg:
One of the principles is kind of redefining the coach, because a lot of people just associate with sport no matter what sport. And so we really go back in time almost and look at the original definition of coach. And it’s a vehicle. Stagecoach and a stagecoach is a vehicle to take someone of importance from where they are to where they want to be. And that’s still the same thing today. As you coach, you’re coaching someone of importance because whether you like them or not, they’re on your team and they’re important to somebody. Timmy is important. Maybe not to you as much as mom. Yeah, but they have aspirations. It may not be like to go play in the MLB, but to be able to feel the ball without, you know, taking it to the face and the joy of just getting the simple throw of a 60ft throw, getting into first base.
BJ:
Make contact, you know.
Greg:
Make contact, just the small things that just improve them throughout the season. Again, just some FCA language coach said it is important to us. We firmly believe that a lot of kids today live and die almost with the words that their coach tells them. I always share the story of my daughter. She plays soccer, so I didn’t coach her. She did it. She’s very good. Yeah, but one day she’s kind of cleaning up around the house a bit more than normal. And I’m, you know, me and Amanda, we’re like, is she sick? Like, what’s what’s wrong with her? You know? And it comes back to the coach. The coach said she’s more helpful around the house. The coach said she should contribute more in different areas of just home life. And so when you think of your position as a coach, understanding what the coach said is a real thing in our communities. Yeah, I know you both love Jesus. When a coach says something that can point a child to Jesus, what’s the importance of that? Yeah, now you’re shifting. You’re leveraging sport for the gospel. And it’s a different game.
Ryan:
Absolutely. And I think we have the impact, the impact or to we have the opportunity to impact these young men in such a way that we can further the gospel of Jesus. One of the great things about our program and that we’ve done our team voluntarily, kid led praise before every game. And it’s just a phenomenal thing to see. And when you see the impact that Jesus can have and your walk with him can have on a daily basis with these kids, that you’re able to coach is a phenomenal thing. And some kids have great home lives. And you can tell some kids don’t have great home lives, and you can tell that as well. And it’s our responsibility as Christian leaders of the young men to show them that godly example to be Jesus in their eyes, that every day. And it’s challenging. They’re frustrating times. But to have that patience, to have that, I know that I want you to get better. And they can see that. They can feel it. They can sense it for sure.
BJ:
That’s cool. Yeah. Think about the kids like Waylon and Eli, who are trying to follow Jesus as nine and ten year old boys. What a privilege it is to help discipline them in these settings and contexts of baseball and sports where, hey, Eli, I want you to. What would it be like for you to lead your team in prayer? What would it be like for you to come alongside your buddy that’s struggling and pray for him individually, or ask him what’s going on or love that kid? And then what an opportunity. Kids that might be far from God or that aren’t interested in church. What a cool opportunity to model the love and selflessness of Jesus and speak truth into their life. Man, what a privilege that is.
Ryan:
And we have the opportunity with sport because sport is hard and the older you get, the harder it gets and the more training you have to do. And just that hard work and dedication and that type of ethic that you can help build these boys in. Yeah, you can see that transition. And that’s what we’ve got to do, is mold and shape these young men to become better adult men. True.
BJ:
Yeah, yeah.
Greg:
That’s true. B.J. and Ryan, I should appreciate y’all joining us today. And for those of you out there who continually watch Making a Difference, I’m your host, Greg Chapman. Catch us next time.
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