Chris Fay isn’t new to Wayland baseball, but he is to Wayland High School’s baseball program. Longtime Wayland resident and owner of Next Pitch Baseball in Framingham, Massachusetts, is taking over as the varsity baseball head coach this spring.

Fay first began coaching after the end of his college career at Gettysburg College and found his love for baseball could transition from playing to coaching. Since then, Fay has coached all the way from the youth level, serving as the President of Wayland Little League for around six years, to the collegiate level for Newbury College.

“I was able to play and coach at a lot of different levels, but I think some of my best memories always come back to high school,” Fay said. “I think you remember your high school teammates, you remember your high school coaches, you remember the rivalries that come with high school. You remember when you put on your high school jersey for the first time and certainly the last time.”

While Fay has been coaching for decades, he’s had to learn to evolve his style as the game has continued to change over the years.

“The game I played when I was 17 is probably different from the one I’m coaching at 40,” Fay said. “The game has changed a lot, certainly how we teach has changed a lot as well. I’m looking to just meet the players where they are, bring my experience that I have, and share that with them.”

As well as teaching his players the fundamentals of baseball, Fay strives to be a role model for his players on and off the field. He emphasizes that coaching is a lot more than just teaching his players how to hit the ball.

“We have a responsibility to play the game the right way,” Fay said. “That’s gonna be one of our big themes this year, playing the game the right way, respecting the game, respecting our opponents and carrying ourselves in a way that is representative of Wayland High School and its ideals.”

On the baseball field, Fay expresses his excitement in sharing his knowledge of the game with his players. Although winning games is his ultimate goal, Fay recognizes the importance of fine-tuning the small details of the game.

“I love practices,” Fay said. “I love practice even more than the games. The games are fairly easy. I’ve always thought the games are for the players, and the practices are a little more for the coaches. We’re gonna cover a lot and really focus on the details.”

As the season gears up, Fay is focusing his attention on little improvements and showing up each day through both the wins and losses.

“I’m just excited to be on the field with the players,” Fay said. “I’m excited to get out there and hopefully improve each and every day. I think just being out on the field, going through the ups and downs throughout the year, we’re gonna have highs, we’re gonna have lows, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how we bounce back from those lows.”

Fay believes that baseball is more than just a game on a field. Baseball provides an opportunity to learn life lessons like discipline and respect.

“While I don’t play baseball anymore, a lot of the lessons I took from the game when I was in youth, high school or college, I still apply today,” Fay said. “If we can take what we learn in between the lines to long after the games final out, I think that’s the beauty of the game and why players and athletes should be playing, for any sport. There’s an endless procession of life lessons that baseball can provide people when done right.”

Although Fay is the leader of the team as the coach, he finds himself learning alongside all of his players.

“I think I learn more from the players than they learn from me,” Fay said. “I take a lot away from them like different coaching techniques and how every player is motivated differently. ”

As the varsity baseball team enters their fourth game on Thursday, April 20, Fay is hoping to create a meaningful season for his players.

“It’s certainly my favorite two hours of the day being out on the baseball field with them,” Fay said. “I’m hoping that the players with Wayland baseball see it as a big part of their high school experience. It’s not the only part, but I want it to be a big part of their high school experience.”