Ep 91: A league of his own - Coach Rick Pederson

“There’s stuff more important than the wins and losses, but through baseball, they can learn a lot to be successful in life.”

Episode 91 will have you dreaming of warmer weather as former ICCC Triton skipper Rick Pederson sits down to talk about the ins and outs of a life in baseball. Tim played for Coach Pederson from 2005-2006 and they explore all aspects of coaching JUCO baseball, changes in the game, and Pederson’s newest crop of prospects… middle school softball players.

In a show centered around underdogs, Rick Pederson’s story fits the mold. He took over a very successful Triton program at age 30 and went on to win 551 games over the next 14 years. Pederson and Tim talk about every aspect of the life of a JUCO coach. They discuss recruiting players who were on varied paths, 5 AM workouts, doing what it takes to be successful, and making sure NIACC stayed in their lane.

“We wanted kids that were tough, loved to play, … had some energy; a heartbeat to ‘em”

Coach Pederson, the 2003 NJCAA Coach of the Year, goes into great detail about the highs and lows of his time at the helm. Tim and Pederson talk about some of the great players he has had, the big time games he coached in, and some of the challenges of managing 18 to 20-year-old athletes. Coach Pederson hung up the lineup card in 2016 and this episode includes both his reflections on a very successful career and his newest challenge, coaching youth sports.