Roy Combines Faith, Coaching In New BookTom Roy is putting half a century of experience into one book.
Roy, 69, was recently named co-head coach of the Grace College baseball team, though his story extends far beyond the lines of Kosciusko County.
His book, “Shepherd Coach: Unlocking the Destiny of You and Your Players,” features wisdom from his time coaching at Tippecanoe Valley High School, Huntington University and Grace College.
Roy has long combined his passion for America’s National Pastime with his Christian faith, and said the book is about coaching with Jesus Christ in mind.
“The main focus of the book is the idea that there are men out there who are Christians that coach, but are they Christian coaches?” Roy said. “Are they taking the principles of Jesus and putting them out into the field of play and everything they do?”
“Shepherd Coach” is an attempt to guide baseball coaches to instruct with Christian values, so he crafted it in the form of a workbook.
As a player, Roy, who was born and raised in Wisconsin, had a stint in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system. He also has met many players and managers in his time as president of Unlimited Potential Incorporated, which takes MLB players on missions trips to foreign countries.
Despite knowing the likes of former White Sox player Chris Singleton and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, Roy largely avoids name-dropping throughout the book because he wanted to make it relatable to all levels of coaches.
“I wanted to make this something that a little league coach could pick up and relate to, and the big league coach could say, ‘I can’t do that in the big leagues, but I can do this,’” Roy said.
The book was inspired by a seminar Roy conducted at East Texas Baptist University. Roy hopes the book’s publication will lead to more speaking engagements to spread the book’s message.
“I’ve seen all different kinds of styles of coaching,” Roy said. “You don’t see him in spikes, but how would Jesus do it based on his principles? And yes, he’d slide hard into second, and he’d take you out, legally.”
Roy gave credit to all the players and coaches he’s met over the years, as well as his wife, Carin, for the book’s publication.
The book was published by Pulpit to Page Publishing, based in Warsaw. It will be released Dec. 24 and is available for preorder on amazon.com.
Roy will be at the Kosciusko County YMCA from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 2 for a book signing.
The book is Roy’s sixth, but it’s the one that feels most personal to him.
“This is one that I really feel is me,” he said. “(It’s) life experience from all those other coaching opportunities.”
