Fall: LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

A Letter from the President

I hope this letter finds you and your family well and that you had a good season. As I write this, you are likely aware the fight for Maplewood is officially over. While this makes me very sad for future generations of players and their families, our board remains committed to providing baseball and softball to our players. I want to thank, not only our board
members, but those who supported us along the way.

This is a difficult letter for me to write. This is my last Letter from the President to you. My term ends on 10-31-24 and I did not seek reelection. The decision not to seek reelection was ultimately made due to the significant changes my family experienced during the past year, especially in July. All of these changes were positive, yet each was filled with emotion. During the fall of 2023, I ended 16 consecutive years of coaching my three sons. My youngest son has moved on to more formal coaching, as he should. In July of this year, I retired from a job I loved after 29 years. I said goodbye to a family and started a new job for the first time in my adult life just four days later. My wife and I took our middle son to college and, a week later, my oldest son moved out. Our family went from five people under one roof to three in a week.

The demands of my new job were the ultimate reason I made the difficult decision to step away from the board after 10 years. I can no longer give this organization the attention I expect and each of you deserve. Serving on the board has been the honor of a lifetime. I met and worked with so many amazing people dedicated to the development and wellbeing of the players. Although never a board member, I want to especially thank my wife, Lynn. I could not have accomplished what I did without her hard work and assistance. I also want to thank those board members who accepted and mentored me during my early days. Scott Smith, Dave Anderson, Dustin Deal, Greg Case, and Barb Saylor gave willingly of their knowledge and experience to assist me.

As CGYBS looks toward the future, volunteers stand ready to carry on the proud traditions of our organization. I urge you to coach and to consider serving on the board. The impact on your children and countless other players cannot be overstated. My children are old enough now to realize what my wife and I did for them and to say thank you.

Thank you for everything. It was the ride of a lifetime.

Respectfully,
Bob Johnson