by www.LSUsports.net, LSU Sports Interactive
by Bill Martin
Associate SID
- Watch Now (Free):
Demie, Nick and Tommy, talk to about their relationships with coach Paul Mainieri (6/15) - Watch Now (Free):
Jared Bradford on Father's Day (6/15)
Father’s Day in Omaha. It only seems fitting that such a special holiday coincides with the College World Series. Every young boy who plays baseball aspires to reach this stage one day. For LSU’s Paul Mainieri, this accomplishment is one that is shared as a coach, as a son and as a father.
Mainieri is the epitome of what it is to be a family man. A generous, hard worker, he has embraced LSU, the players and the fans like a family of his own in two seasons. He never turns down an autograph seeker or a fan just wanting to talk LSU baseball. He is gracious to everyone involved in the program and to the media who have covered the Tigers’ remarkable turnaround. LSU’s success is proof that good things happen to good people.
But Mainieri’s gratitude is no coincidence. That is simply the person he is, a son who learned those principles from his father who now passes those beliefs down to four children of his own.
“Fortunately, my father and mother really believed in the principle of family,” he said. “We ate dinner together and talked as a family. My parents instilled in me that family was the most important thing. Now that I have my own family, it is the reason that I do things the way that I do.”
Mainieri’s father, Demie, laid the foundation for his success and served as a mentor to him in his coaching journey. Demie served as a Hall of Fame head coach at Miami-Dade North Community College where he recorded 1,018 wins and a national title in a 30-year career. Paul was constantly around his father’s program as a young boy. When the Tigers take the field tonight against North Carolina, his sons will be able to live out the same moment.
“I grew up in the dugout at Miami-Dade,” Mainieri said. “Those were the fondest memories of me and my childhood was being with my dad. And now to be able to have my sons with me, especially at the College World Series, is so special. This is the second time that has been able to happen. I just feel so grateful for everything that I have.”
Mainieri learned several lessons from his father while growing up, but none were more important than the very first lesson he preached.
“The biggest lesson was his very first lesson – to go into coaching for the right reasons,” Mainieri said. “You want to be a coach because you want to have a positive influence on young people in teaching them how to succeed not only in athletics but in the game of life. If your focus is always on the kids, then you will make good decisions.”
Nick and Tommy aren’t the only ones who have been able to be a part of LSU’s success. His daughters, Alex and Samantha, have been there every step of the way along with his wife, Karen.
“It means everything to me to have them here. I have been so blessed for such a wonderful family and four beautiful children and a great wife. I am so happy that I have a profession where I can share it with my children like I did with my father.”
Nick and Tommy have become fixtures in the LSU dugout, providing support for their father and the players in college baseball’s most amazing story of the season.
“They love the game and understand the game,” Mainieri said. “It is so great to have them there. Most importantly, it is just good for us to be together as a family.”
Mainieri’s relationship with his family serves as a reminder as to what this game is all about – fathers and sons and passing on the lessons of baseball to the generations to come. On this Father’s Day, every son who plays baseball is reminded of what it is like to play catch with their father and how they served as inspiration to living out their dream.
That feeling can best be summed up by the baseball classic, Field of Dreams, according to Mainieri.
“Every time I see the end of that movie when Kevin Costner asks his dad to have a catch, it just brings tears to your eyes,” he said. “That’s the way it is supposed to be and that is what this game is all about.”
