The Anthony Wayne community is fortunate to have Ryan Donley as an educator and coach. His commitment to our youth extends far beyond the baseball diamond, and I felt compelled to share a recent experience that exemplifies his remarkable character.
During Winter Break, Coach Donley and his talented high school baseball players organized a youth baseball clinic. My 7-year-old son Beckett participated, and I volunteered to help. This was my first time meeting Coach Donley, and what I witnessed left a lasting impression.
From the moment I entered the gymnasium, I noticed something extraordinary about the high school athletes. They communicated with genuine mutual respect—not the performative kind that adults sometimes coach into kids, but the authentic variety that only develops when young people are led by someone who models it consistently. The athletes clearly respected their coach, and the respect Coach Donley showed his players was equally evident.
But what happened next truly amazed me.
Coach Donley commanded the attention of dozens of energetic 7- to 14-year-olds—a feat any parent or teacher knows borders on miraculous. Then I noticed he was calling each child by name. I initially assumed he must have known these kids or their families beforehand.
My assumption changed when I heard him shout across the gymnasium, “Hey, great contact there, Beckett!” I looked over. That was MY Beckett in the batting cage. They had met just once— an hour earlier during a brief check— in when dozens of other young athletes were simultaneously introducing themselves. No name tags. No clipboard. Just Coach Donley, greeting each child personally and apparently inscribing every name into his memory.
He did this throughout the clinic, addressing every single child by name.
The impact was palpable. The kids stood taller. They listened more intently. They felt seen.
After the clinic, I approached Coach Donley to thank him. Before I could speak, he looked up and said, “Hey BJ! Thanks for helping out! How do you think we did?”
He remembered my name too.
When I asked how he managed to remember everyone, his response was refreshingly honest: he makes it a point to commit each person’s name to memory because it’s one small thing he can do to show respect and demonstrate that he truly listens.
That simple gesture speaks volumes about Coach Donley’s character as an educator, coach, community leader, and person.
Our community undoubtedly has countless other wonderful educators and mentors like Coach Donley. But this personal experience moved me to publicly recognize someone who is quietly making a profound difference in the lives of our children—one remembered name at a time.
We are lucky to have him.
