Plainfield South HS Assistant Baseball Coach Earns Award

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield South High School Assistant Baseball Coach Chet Lines has hundreds of games under his assistant coach belt, but he insists that coaching isn’t about wins or losses.

Rather, coaching is about helping students use baseball to better themselves in life.

That philosophy is one of the reasons Lines recently was honored as the Assistant Coach of the Year for the Upper Midwest region by the National Baseball Coaches Association.

The Upper Midwest region includes Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Lines was one of eight honored.

“(The award) is just icing on the cake,” said Lines, who has been coaching baseball since 2004.

He’s proud that he has coached kids who go onto play baseball around the country or go to college thanks in part to baseball. “Baseball opens doors,” Lines said.

PSHS variety baseball coach Phil Bodine agreed.

“Chet is one of the rare young coaches who wants to put in time to make kids better people first and better baseball players second,” said Bodine.

Lines, who teaches economics and psychology at PSHS, cites Bodine and former PSHS baseball coach Paul Raspolich, as big players in his success.

Raspolich, who hired Lines to coach the PSHS freshman team in 2004, wasn’t surprised by Lines’ honor.

“Because of his work ethic and positive relationships he built with students I knew that he would have much success,” said Raspolich, who is now teaching and coaching at Plainfield East High School.

Submitted by Plainfield School District 202