I admired players like Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, and Pete Rose when I was growing up in Atlanta, GA. But in all my years of playing, watching, and coaching baseball, my favorite player of all time was Shanil Naik.
I met Shanil when he was a young little league baseball player looking to improve his skills in a sport that he loved dearly. The first thing I noticed about him was his respectful behavior and genuine politeness. The only child of Ramesh and Manju Naik, he was such a pleasant person to be around. It was always "yes sir", "no sir", "thank you" and "please".
I always looked forward to working with Shanil on his pitching and hitting. His mom or dad brought him out to a park in Duluth, GA about once a week, off and on for well over a year. My relationship with this family became very special. Not only because Shanil's work ethic was second to none, but the love these parents had for their son was beautiful to see.
Shanil would always ask me how I was doing, knowing that my only sister had recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was genuinely concerned. I remember surprising him by showing up to watch one of his games. He couldn't stop thanking me for coming. Of course I made it a point to come to more of his games.
He was not the best player I ever worked with, but he had tremendous potential. Mainly because his love for the game of baseball was as big as his heart. He made it easy for me to push him to another level. But what I will always remember about Shanil, he made me a better baseball coach.
I was to meet with Shanil and his mom the next day to do another baseball lesson, when I learned of the car accident that took his precious life. Before Ramesh and Manju could ask me, I had decided to speak at his funeral service. It was held at Greater Atlanta Christian School, where he attended since kindergarten. He made a lot of friends there and was very popular.
Shanil was laid to rest in his baseball uniform. All of his friends came dressed in baseball uniforms too. He obviously had a big impact on many lives in the 13 years he was on this earth! I made it a point to tell all the young people that were there, what a blessing it would be for them to learn from Shanil. Be polite, be respectful, enjoy life to the fullest, and make a difference in other people's lives.
Shanil Naik would have graduated from GAC in 2009. The Naik Athletic Training Center on campus was built around ten years ago and dedicated to this fine, outstanding, young man. I feel so honored to have known him. There will always be a special place in my heart for Ramesh and Manju, the proud parents of Shanil Naik, my favorite baseball player ever!
