The Valley News will profile a local high school head coach weekly during the summer. It’s a chance to better know some of the people guiding the area’s student-athletes. Today, we meet fourth-year Windsor baseball coach Jamie Richardson, who’s also a Yellowjackets football assistant and helps guide the White River Junction Post 84 senior American Legion baseball squad.
Lesson learned: The 1991 Windsor graduate played football, basketball and baseball and spent two years at Lyndon State, baseball runners-up in the NAIA’s Mayflower Conference at the time. “I majored in baseball and minored in accounting,” said Richardson, who was a shortstop for the Hornets. “I grew up out in the country and didn’t go to parties in high school. I was a little naive and that last semester, I failed a course for the first time. I’d never let my parents down like that before.”
Working man: Upon his return from college, Richardson landed work in Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center’s records management program and he’s been there since. “We have 46,000 boxes in storage and don’t throw anything away,” he said. “We keep medical records, studies, finance stuff. People ask why I’m still there, but it pays my bills and the (6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) schedule lets me coach.”
What a guy: Tabatha Richardson, Jamie’s wife and a former Hartford High three-sport athlete, assists the director of DHMC’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center. They met during adult softball 19 years ago. “I got her another diamond for our anniversary,” Richardson said. Pause. “A baseball diamond!”
Pipsqueak with pop: Richardson’s son, Ryland, is a rising Windsor senior who was hitting Wiffle Balls before he was toilet-trained. “We have a photo of him out in the rain with boots up to his knees and a diaper on and no shirt,” Jamie Richardson said. “Our golden retriever, Marino, is sitting there, waiting for Ryland to hit the ball so he can go chase it.”
White lie: When Peyton, the Richardsons’ daughter, was born, her father waited until mother and child were surrounded by family and announced he was taking Marino, a golden retriever, and 4-year-old Ryland out for exercise. Instead, he parked his car, engine running and air conditioning on, at the Windsor High field and conducted baseball practice. “I got around to telling them years ago,” Richardson said with a chuckle.
Conflicting passions: “I’m having a hard time with not seeing my daughter play field hockey, AAU basketball and softball as often as either of us would like. She’s a gritty competitor. Ryland is too, but my daughter, when you say ‘play ball’ the opponent is the enemy and she makes it quite clear.”
Mad at Dad: “I’ve helped players with their home life, school problems and when they break up with their girlfriends. I just sit there and listen and give them a hug. We’re a family and I’m the dad. I tell them they’re going to get (angry) at me, but we don’t leave practices or games mad. If I’ve had to discipline you, we’re not going to leave until we’re all set with each other.”
Wound tight: After coaching youth football, Richardson moved up six years ago and has served three seasons as Windsor High’s defensive coordinator, helping bring home last season’s Vermont Division III title. “I don’t have to hold anything back in football, whereas in baseball, I have to tone it down,” said Richardson, whose body is so tense and who paces so much during gridiron games that his back and hips ache when he gets home. “I’m a loud, rah-rah guy and as a coach, you can’t get rid of it like you could when you played.”
Pastimes: Richardson, 45, is a hunting enthusiast who was indoctrinated into the activity by his father. They pursued turkey, deer and rabbits. In the winter, he’s a basketball referee working junior high and high school junior varsity clashes. “I get myself into a certain mindset before I work a game,” Richardson said. “I want to earn my money. As a fan, I’ve never yelled at a (basketball) referee for a call, but I have done it when they were lazy.”
Old school: “I think there are a lot of false positives given to these kids. If you take Johnny out of the game and you tell him he did a great job when he didn’t, you’re not doing him any justice. Kids nowadays don’t know how to fail and bounce back. They fail and mentally, they’re done. Baseball’s hard that way; you might make a mistake and not get a chance to make it up for an hour or for days.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.