On April 27th, a major tornado swept through Hueytown, Alabama - home of the HYT 6U All-Stars softball team. The All-Stars head coach, Gary Wray, knew that while their town was left in shambles he wouldn't let it bring them down. Wray decided that his team would volunteer to help clean up neighboring towns until they could get back on on the field. His willingness to help the community while continuing to mentor his team makes Wray our Coach of the Week.

Wray has been coaching off and on for the past ten years. It all began when his daughter McKenna now a freshman in college first signed up for softball at the age of four. He knew right away that he wanted to participate in his daughters sport. “What's the fun of having a girl playing softball if you are not spending time with her doing it too?” commented Wray.

All three of Wray and his wife Cheryl’s daughters love playing softball. Their middle daughter Delaney plays second base for Hueytown High School, and their youngest, Sydney “Scout” is a member of the All-Stars. The Wray's don't have much free time with two daughters playing softball but our Coach of the Week wouldn’t change it for the world.

Wray’s coaching philosophy is “if winning is what you care about, then you will be unhappy.” He believes the most important part of youth sports is enjoying the game. He works hard to make sure that his players, parents and fellow coaches are always having a good time.

Congratulations Gary on being named our Coach of the Week. The disaster may have kept you away from playing, but it looks like the All-Stars are champions on and off the field!

Gary Wray’s Three Keys to Success:

• Enjoy the Game!?

• Get Your Players to Enjoy the Game!?

• Get your Parents to Enjoy the Game!