Finding their niche

Knowing what path you should take in life does not always come right away.
Sometimes a person really and truly does not know what he/she is meant to do with their professional lives.
That was the case for this year’s Evangeline Parish Baseball Coach of the Year Gary Ashworth.
According to Asworth, his life took a number of turns before he found his true calling in life: coaching.
“I think I’ve tried everything else but coaching before I decided this is where I want to be,” stated Ashworth. “I’ve done youth ministry, worked for a couple of plants, I even owned my own restaurant. But, nothing ever really satisfied me. Now, when I come to work, I am excited. So, I know I was meant to do this. I told a kid the other day that even you can do anything else, do it. But, if you can’t, be a coach because it is so rewarding.”
For Ashworth, the path to Sacred Heart has been quit a journey. After graduating from Glenmora High School in 2000, Ashworth went to LSUA and Northwestern, graduating with a degree in General Studies.
From there, Ashworth moved on to all of the different jobs held before coming into the teaching profession. However, Ashworth did not stray far from the game that he loves.
During his time in the non-teaching world, Ashworth was able to hone his coaching skills by doing some CECP work at several high schools, including Simpson and Barbe.
“Prior to coming here, I was able to spend some really good quality time under some great head coaches,” said Ashworth. “I was glad that I was able to be an assistant coach for a period of time,”
“There were times when I thought I was ready to be a head coach,” Ashworth continued. “But, looking back now I know I was not ready. I was blessed to be an assistant because there is a time of training in becoming a man and to be a leader of young men.”
Ashworth got his opportunity to be a part of the paid coaching ranks five years ago. Following the sale of his business in Moss Bluff, Ashworth and his wife moved back to CENLA so that his significant other could get into the insurance business.
As for Ashworth, he was offered a job of managing some car washes. As fate would have it, Ashworth received a call from former Sacred Heart standout Danny Ardoin, a friend of Ashworth’s days in Moss Bluff.
Ardoin mentioned a job opening in the Land of Troy. Ashworth came down and met then head baseball coach Cody Vidrine and the administration. On the spot, he was offered a job at the school and the rest is history.
“The biggest thing about being here at Sacred Heart is that you simply fall in love with the players and students,” commented Ashworth. “You can look at the pay and the amount of hours we put in, and say why would someone be here. But, I don’t know if I have come across kids that you just totally fall in love with.”
Currently, Ashworth has a 35 minute commute one way from his house to be at Sacred Heart. Nevertheless, Ashworth sees the school and his team as a family that has adopted him, his wife and daughter.
“My wife and little girl sacrifice a lot for me to be able to do this job that I am so passionate about,” stated Ashworth. “They are the Coach’s of the Year in my mind. My daughter knows every player on the team and prays for them everyday. It has been a huge blessing for them to be a part of this community.”
This past season, Ashworth guided his team to an overall record of 19-14-1 and a spot in the Division IV quarterfinals. The Trojans played one of the toughest schedules on the season and earned the No. 8 seed in the post-season.
Ashworth knows that his team had a tremendous year, thanks in part to a group of seniors that gave it there all and some good advice.
“We were able to put up points all year long,” said Ashworth. “Our biggest hurdle to overcome was our identity on the mound. One of my assistant coaches, Brent Duplechin, had always been after me about bridging pitchers. I am kind of old school and had to change my philosophy. But, I took his advice and that wind up changing the course of the season,”
“Another huge part of the year was the leadership of our seniors,” Ashworth continued. “I am definitely going to miss those guys. They are quality young men and I cannot wait to see them become adults and being there for the big events in their lives.”