It is a moment Andy Hicks will likely never forget.
Last April, Hicks was called out of his classroom at Carver High School by the school’s assistant principal. Hicks, who was the assistant baseball coach in addition to being a special education teacher, received unbelievable news.
“It was about 1:30,” Hicks said. “She told me I needed to do whatever it would take, whatever I needed to do, to get ready for the game with LaGrange that afternoon because David had been in an accident. She said it was bad.”
Hicks was referring to David Pollard, head baseball coach for the Carver Tigers. Pollard was preparing for a matchup between his team and LaGrange High School later that afternoon. He had left the campus to purchase chalk from a nearby hardware store to line the baseball field.
Pollard, 36, was involved in a three-car accident not far from the school. One of the vehicles was a stolen car. The driver fled the scene and was arrested a few days later.
Hicks said he called the coach of the LaGrange team to explain the situation. When the coach asked which hospital Pollard had been taken to, Hicks realized he had not asked and went to find an answer. He was met with the news that Pollard had not survived the crash.
“I guess I was kind of in shock,” Hicks said. “I mean, he had just run to the hardware store. I made that trip before. He made that trip before. It was not anything you ever thought about happening.”
Despite the administration’s efforts to keep the school body from learning of Pollard’s death from outside sources, social media alerted students to the tragedy, including members of Pollard’s team.
“They came out here (to the field) and kept asking me if it was true,” Hicks said. “It was kind of a surreal moment. It kind of hit us all when we were standing there because David was the guy with the keys. Everything was locked, and we didn’t have the keys because he was not there.”
The next day was the hardest of all for Hicks. When he gathered with the team the next morning, he was so emotional he couldn’t speak. Pollard wasn’t just a boss or a coach to Hicks; they had become friends over the course of the past school year.
Back in high school, Pollard played baseball at Shaw High School. Hicks was a pitcher for Hardaway High School. The two teams played against each other numerous times, so Pollard and Hicks were familiar with each other. They graduated the same year from their respective schools. The Shaw High grad took a circuitous route to becoming a teacher, and so did Hicks. Eventually, they landed at local schools as special education teachers and coaches.
One day Hicks and Pollard ran into each other at a meeting, and Pollard asked Hicks if he would be interested in helping coach baseball at Carver. The previous year Pollard had done the job all by himself, and he knew he needed help.
Hicks was interested and applied for a job. There was an opening, and he was hired. A couple more coaches were added to the mix, and it was beginning to look up for the Tigers baseball program. There were some almost wins against some good teams that gave the baseball team and Pollard reason to believe there was potential to have a good season if not a winning season.
Pollard was known for taking his players’ needs to heart. According to everyone who knew him, Pollard was more interested in developing the character of his students and athletes than winning games. He loved baseball, but used the game to build discipline and responsibility concepts in his athletes. His players were loyal to him and felt they knew how he would have wanted them to react in this situation.
The 2016 team decided to finish out the season. They had three games left and played two, both of which were against Shaw High School, Pollard’s alma mater. The game with LaGrange was never rescheduled due to region standings.
Carver’s first game against Shaw was at Shaw’s field. The Tigers lost but had hopes of defeating the Raiders on their home turf in the next game. On the day of the last game, it was a rainy mess on the Carver field. While Hicks was battling his own emotions over the loss of Pollard, he had also been thrust into the role of head coach and therefore had to manage all the things Pollard had previously done.
“It rained,” Hicks said. “We tried to get the field ready. Chad Mathis brought some guys, and Pat McGregor came over to help. We worked on it, and then it rained again. Finally, we were able to get it ready for play.”
Mathis is the head baseball coach for Columbus High School, and McGregor is the Shaw head baseball coach. Others also pitched in to get the field in shape, and when Hicks looked around, the stands were overflowing. Local baseball teams arrived in force and joined the Carver team in solidarity. People from the community as well as those who knew the Pollard family turned out to cheer on the late coach’s team. It was a fitting testimony of a coach who had quietly made his life’s work all about supporting and helping young people achieve success.
Then came a moment Hicks will also long remember. When the skies cleared and the Tigers put forth the effort despite their heavy hearts to win their last game, those in attendance were treated to a double rainbow over the playing field.
“It was like something you would see in a movie,” hicks said with a smile. “That rainbow and the win. It was the best sports moment of my life.”
Carver High School named Hicks head baseball coach. On Feb. 17 the Carver Tigers will officially begin their season under his direction. He has no plans to do anything much differently than the coach before him. He has the help of three community coaches and will likely field a team of about 15 athletes, all of whom played for Pollard. A few freshmen might show up, but no matter who puts on a uniform, Hicks has the same goal as last season.
“To be the first Carver team to make the state playoffs,” Hicks said. “We have a good group of guys. We have put them in the weight room and worked hard on getting stronger. Some have played in the Wooden Bat League over the summer. We don’t have the facilities and amenities some schools do, but David always expected his players to give it everything they had. That hasn’t changed.”
The new coach has been tested and said he never knew all that a head coach was responsible for or had to find the time to do. It has been trial by fire, but Hicks hasn’t shied away from the load. He said he feels like he was put in this time and place for a purpose. Pollard practically hand-picked him for the role.
“It’s been a ride, that’s for sure,” Hicks said, locking the field gate using keys that have now been handed down to him. “It’s not anything you would ever want to happen to get a head coaching job. I’ve learned a lot. One thing I have learned for sure it that you never know when something like this can happen. You need to hold your babies tight. Life can be short.”
Columbus Valley/February 2017
Carver High School Baseball
Columbus, Georgia
Written by: Beth Welch | Photos by: George McDuffie
Carver Baseball Team Carrying on Coach’s Legacy
