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4901d19430985 Alan Cunningham, baseball coach, was recently named District 5 Coach of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, which puts him in the running for National Coach of the Year. (Photo by staff)

Alan Cunningham, baseball coach, was recently named District 5 Coach of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, which puts him in the running for National Coach of the Year. (Photo by staff)

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Baseball coach receives honors

     Alan Cunningham, Silver Lake’s baseball coach, has experienced a lot this past year. It all started when the baseball team won state in the spring. They beat the number one seed Wichita Independent 7-5 to clinch the state title.

     “Winning the state tournament last year was thrilling and special because we went in as a seventh seed and we beat both of the undefeated teams there. We beat the number two seed Lakin, the number three seed Central Heights in the semifinals, and then we beat the undefeated number one seed, Wichita Independent, in the championship game. We beat the number one, two, and three seed, so the boys really earned that one,” he said.

     Then, Cunningham was nominated for coach of the year this past summer. Rocky Helm, baseball coach at Maize High School, nominated him for coach of the year.

     Due to these achievements, Cunningham was recently named District 5 Coach of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, which puts him in the running for National Coach of the Year. He will attend the national meeting in early December to receive his award.

     “I felt good when I was nominated for coach of the year because that means that we were successful as a team and we had a really good year. I received a nice plaque and a briefcase that has 'Coach of the Year' embroidered on it. These were presented to me when I was at the Kansas Coaching School in August,” he said.

     In addition to these accolades, Cunningham and Wes Burdiek, baseball player at Silver Lake, traveled to Germany with the Rock Creek coach, Scott Harshbarger, and players from Wamego, Rock Creek, Wabaunsee, Jeff West, and Holton. They left on July 30 and got back on Aug. 7. He said they got the chance to play some teams that they normally wouldn't get to play.

     “Baseball isn’t as popular there as it is here, so the crowds were small. Three of the teams we played weren't very good. The last team we played, Regensburg Legionare, was a very good team that was in the European Baseball Championship. That team included a couple of former US collegiate baseball players. They ended up beating us 9-6.

     “My favorite part of playing in Germany was playing that really good team our last game. The trip was also for the kids and letting them tour Germany. We got to see a concentration camp, a couple of castles and we also got to tour with a New Mexico softball team, so we got to meet them.

     “My least favorite part is the weakness of the dollar and how we spent so much money. Also, some of the food wasn't very good. We would have lunch meat for breakfast, and it was horrible. So I think that would be my least favorite part,” Cunningham said.

     His hard work and dedication to baseball were not only recognized by other coaches but his own daughters as well. Cunningham got the chance to sit in the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat at a Royals game after Lauren and Abby Cunningham nominated him. All of the seats in the stadium are blue except this seat. It’s red.

     “When I was at the game, the Royals were playing the Rangers. The Royals got beat 9-4, but it was just cool to experience that. My favorite part was being so close to the field and having my wife and daughters there with me. My least favorite part was when they showed me on the giant, high-definition scoreboard while they read why I was sitting in the seat.

     “But I did receive a book called ‘Soul of the Game.’ I received $40 to buy nachos and hot dogs, and I got a DVD of the video presentation.

      “I have grown up with the Royals, so they are my team. I have been to the stadium a lot to watch them. My daughters went onto the Royal’s web site and nominated me after winning state and being nominated coach of the year, and the Royals selected me. I felt very honored because back in the ’96-‘97 school year, Buck O’Neil actually came and talked to our students. I got the chance to drive him back to the Negro League Baseball Museum, so we got to talk baseball the whole way there. It was way cool,” Cunningham concluded.

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