It’s going, going…gone! Home run for Ryan Simpson! 2015 alumni, Simpson, is welcomed back to FHS as the new JV Baseball and Strength coach. Simpson started playing baseball when he was six years old and continued to play for fifteen years. “I skipped t-ball because I was hitting too many dingers,” said Simpson.
Simpson played three years of collegiate baseball at Shepherd University in West Virginia. He majored in exercise physiology and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science. In his free time, Simpson likes to read, listen to music or play instruments he’s learned over the years. “Music has been a large part of my life and Fauquier High’s music department was a major contributor to my passion for music,” said Simpson.
For Simpson, baseball is more than just a sport, it taught him “how to utilize teamwork, how to be a leader, and most importantly; how to take failure and turn it into motivation.” His first official coaching job was as an unpaid Assistant Strength Coach for the Washington Football Team for one season. After that, he worked as a personal trainer, and then as Assistant Strength/Hockey coach for the men’s hockey program in Ashburn called “Inside Edge: Strength and Conditioning”.
Simpson gives credit to his father, who was his first coach. “He was a pitcher like me, so I always had something to strive for. My motivation however came from my teammates and love for the game,” said Simpson. Along with his father, Simpson said that “Head Varsity Coach Matt O’Saben was the man who has taught me everything I needed to know regarding leadership and toughness. He is also a huge reason why I’m coming back to FHS as a coach.”
Simpson accepted the JV coaching position in December. He gives credit to his FHS teachers and coaches for who he is today. He hopes to pass some of the “patience and persistence” he received on to the athletes he will coach. Simpson says his goal for the JV team is for them to “show up every day as their honest selves, with the urge to work hard and get better.” He says that everyone has a goal to make it to varsity, so it is his job to prepare them for the next level.
Simpson’s favorite part about coaching is “being able to witness someone grow into a stand-up athlete and person.” Through strength coaching, he hopes to focus “motivate my athletes and help bring out the potential in them,” said Simpson. He is excited for this season starting on February 2, and said “If there are any guys out there that are on the fence about trying out for baseball, DO IT! You won’t regret it.”