Westminster High athletic director connects during surprise batting practice session

Westminster High School athletic director Kyle Gorham takes some swings at practice this week. (Photo courtesy Westminster High athletics)

Westminster High School baseball players and coaches had a surprise visitor to practice this week who created plenty of excitement when he picked up a bat and stepped into the batter’s box.

Athletic Director Kyle Gorham inspired the Lions players when he came to practice for Coach Craig Jones’ team. Gorham was wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and even brought some hand sanitizer and extra masks to make sure everyone remained safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Westminster’s athletic programs and the others in the Huntington Beach Unified School District, are still in second stage for athletic conditioning with players continuing to social distance and practice in groups. But shared equipment in a group is allowed, Gorham said.

Gorham said his visit to practice was meant to support the Lion players and coaches.

“I’ve been involved in sports for about 18 years as a water polo coach,” Gorham said in a telephone interview Thursday. “I stepped away from that so I’m kind of in a new role of being athletic director and I just like to get out of the office and build some relationships with kids and support my coaches.

“I’m a big baseball fan, I’m a die-hard Red Sox fan and I was a terrible Little Leaguer, so when I was a kid I was playing right field and batting ninth and my dad gave me some good advice at the time that maybe it was time to pick another sport. I settled on water polo, which has been great for me, but I’ve always loved baseball.”

He got his chance Tuesday to take part in the game for a short while.

“I was just taking a couple swings and saying hi to some kids and I think it goes a long way in me being an effective athletic director or how I view the role of athletics in a comprehensive high school,” he said.

Gorham said he took batting practice for about five minutes as one of the Lions’ players did the pitching.

“I was surprised how well I was hitting it, but it got progessively bad so I decided to retire, just like I did in seventh grade,” he said.

Jones, the head coach, said his players were thrilled to see Gorham at practice. He had visited last week and during that time, played catch with one of the Lions’ players.

“It brought energy, that’s what you want out of your leaders and administrators,” Jones said. “The kids were enthralled, they all crawled out of the dugout because it was right before practice started. He had a full crowd (of players) and there was a lot of pressure on him. He was squaring up balls …. it brought my program to life. Now, they know the administrators are behind us.”

When Gorham started taking his swings, Jones began videotaping and later put a clip on Twitter, where it has received more than 6,000 views, he said.

Jones said he is grateful for the support of his program. The Lions hope to play a winter schedule beginning January 2021. Under the revised CIF plan, high school baseball is scheduled to begin in March.

“The support I get here from the principal to the assistant principal to the AD has just been tremendous,” he said. “They wear all our gear all the time, they wear our hats. It’s amazing. They’ve really backed us.”

Jones said his players went on to have their best practice of the year.

“It was a very good vibe,” he said.

Gorham said Jones has led the way in rebuilding the Westminster program. Among the accomplishments is a complete makeover of the baseball field. He’s also lined up new uniforms and equipment.

“He has followed through on every single thing he said he was going to do. He’s done an amazing job,” Gorham said. “He’s the hardest working walk-on coach I’ve ever seen, he’s here in the morning, he’s here when I leave, he typifies what it means to be a transformational coach. We couldn’t be happier.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com