NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. — Brady Reynolds is no expert. He's not a coach. He's just a 14-year-old kid who missed out on his freshman season with Wallenpaupack, but during the pandemic, he's taking the initiative, teaching baseball to the next generation of little leaguers.
"I want to be like my coaches were because they were a big deal in my life," Reynolds said. "They always knew what to say. I want to help other kids who want to play baseball during these times."
So the Greentown-native started a web series of tutorials he posts to the Wallenpaupack Little League Facebook page. So far, he's got one on hitting, one on pitching and two on fielding, both the infield and outfield.
"I was always taught fundamentals, just getting the base down," Reynolds said. "So if you're building a house, you need to get the base before you do anything else. So that's what I was trying to do with the kids because if they're younger, then they can just excel when they get older."
"You always sit there and say as an adult, I remember what certain coaches I had that made me who I am as a coach and a player when I played," Wallenpaupack Little League Vice President and former President Sam Gurian said. "It's nice to see that Brady's kind of taking in the footsteps of what we always tried to instill in them."
Reynolds records his tutorials at Carlton Drake Memorial Park in Newfoundland. It wasn't long ago he played on this little league field, which is why is tone is so candid.
"I try not to get a script down," Reynolds said. "I just wanted to think on the spot, like a comedian and I didn't want to sound robotic. I guess it's easier for them to relate to."
A good trait for someone who hopes to go into coaching. So why wait?
"I don't see why he can't be a good coach now," Gurian said. "The one thing you can't teach at 14 years old is patience and he's got a lot of it."