UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- After a seven-year hiatus, baseball returns to Penn State New Kensington under the direction of new head coach Jim Perry. The team will operate as a club team for fall 2015 and move to intercollegiate status for fall 2016.
Perry, who has coached baseball for more than 25 years, will lead the resurgence of the storied program that has been dormant since 2009. The team will compete in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). Perry brings to the campus enthusiasm and passion for not only the game but in his role in the development of student-athletes.
“I want to build a sustainable program that teaches young men to become better people through the sport of baseball,” said Perry, who has been coaching and umpiring for 25 years. “Our goal is to compete at the highest level of the PSUAC.”
The first challenge in rebuilding is recruiting players who can develop the skills needed to be successful on the field and the character needed to excel in the classroom as well as in the community. The coach will take on the responsibility of helping team members grow as baseball players, students and adults.
“During the past 10 years of coaching high school baseball in the Alle-Kiski Valley, I have established strong relationships with coaches and players,” said Perry, vice president of Ark Basement Services. “In my first couple of weeks recruiting players for Penn State New Kensington, I have had a positive response from some of the seniors within the programs I have coached.”
A resident of Lower Burrell, Perry believes that athletic and educational development gives students the tools that are essential for success in life. He is looking for student-athletes in the local area who want to move to the next level in baseball as well as the next level in education.
“Young men in surrounding communities can extend their baseball careers and receive a quality education locally,” Perry said.
If Perry needs funding for any team spring training trips down south, he has a fundraising expert under his roof. His daughter Jadyn, a sophomore elementary education major from Burrell High School, served as co-chair of the campus’ THON committee, which raised $28,000 for the recently concluded THON, a Penn State student event that benefits the Four Diamonds Fund and the fight against pediatric cancer. The campus total was fourth-best in campus history.
Perry earned an associate degree in business management from the Community College of Allegheny County-Boyce. Ark Basement Services, located in Pitcairn, is a family-owned business that specializes in basement waterproofing, and wall and foundation repair.
For more information, contact Perry at jperryjr@comcast.net.