Architect Of An Ohio Baseball Powerhouse

by • Featured

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio. — One of the most successful high school baseball coaches in Ohio history is Chris Kaczmar of Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio).

Kaczmar has racked up a 587-117 record as he enters his 26th and final season.

He has led Walsh Jesuit to four Ohio state championships and finished second twice.

Since 1997, 133 players have advanced to college baseball programs while 70 have earned positions with NCAA Div. I teams.

Ten players have been selected in the MLB Draft since 1999.

Along the way, Kaczmar has been a National High School Coach of The Year finalist five times and Ohio Coach of The Year twice.

He has been inducted into the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Greater Akron Baseball Federation Hall of Fame.

What many people don’t realize is that Kaczmar has been an award-winning architect for the past 30 years with Kaczmar Architects Inc.

He may be the only high school head coach in the nation who does this as his main occupation.

Coaching System
The veteran skipper explained why his program has achieved such great success over the years under his guidance.

“The biggest thing looking back over the years is realizing that each player is a unique, special individual,” said Kaczmar.

“When we are seeking to have their best in baseball, I firmly believe that a customized plan must be made for each player to exceed their own expectations. We want them to be the best player and person they possibly can be.

“In my day job, I try to find creative solutions for building projects. I have looked at each building that we have designed at Kaczmar Architects as something special and unique. In a similar way, we look at the career path of each player in our program.

“We don’t believe there is a ‘system’ that works for everyone. What might work for one player might be different for another.

“At the beginning, it involves starting a great relationship with each player and his family and building a level of trust and commitment that the players are excited about and will be relentless in pursuing on a daily basis.

“We begin with the end in mind, whether it is a building project or the career of a player. It is something that has driven me over the years. All of the wins and achievements we have had at Walsh Jesuit are genuinely secondary to the thing I have loved the most about my coaching career which are relationships with the players.

“I enjoy their successes and being a small part of their lives in such an important and exciting window that is their high school career. That is what I will miss and remember the most and what I feel has led to the success our teams have had.

“The wins have been a byproduct of players who have been committed and established life-long relationships who are turning out to be successful people in the community, successful husbands and fathers. It’s great we have won some games over the years. But that is secondary to what we are trying to accomplish.”

To read more of this article, purchase the April 22, 2022 edition of Collegiate Baseball or subscribe by CLICKING HERE. It delves into why he has two pitching coaches on the varsity. He discusses his “Star Wars Drill” and why it works so well at Walsh Jesuit and why visual instruction is so crucial in baseball.