Coaching Philosophy

Coming back full circle to Mountlake Terrace High School and coaching baseball has been an absolute dream come true for me. To be able to coach for my alma mater is special and only brings more motivation for me as a Mountlake Terrace Hawk – a place that was home to me for 4 years.

I want my players to be able to communicate effectively on and off the field, but to also hold one another accountable in the classroom and on the baseball field. My focus is to build and form young athletes into the players they want to be starting with the forming of character. Not everything is given, so I want our players to understand that hard work, determination and being able to flush negativity in challenging moments will help them not only in baseball, but in life as well.

This game is already one of the toughest sports to play, and adversity is hard to overcome if you’ve never faced it. The mentality we have is, “What will you do next?” This applies to life when failure happens, but the most important response is the actions that follow failure in the moments when actions can be controlled. I am a huge advocate of being present where your feet are and working in the moment.

I want players to be able to come through this program with an open mind and listening to coaches who have aspirations of getting them better everyday through hard work, focus and energy. Ultimately, we want to propel them to where they want to be. 

It’s been said that “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Preparing these athletes for a long season ahead is certainly a goal, but we also want them to truly seize the opportunity to play the game they love behind a reason why. 

~ Coach Ryan Sells