The Rocky Telegram ran two articles on Saturday and Sunday about "Baseball" Britt Johnson rise through the ranks of baseball with his team Applaichian State having played this weekend in the baseball tournament at ECU. Both articles were written by Ethan Joyce. I especially enjoyed reading the Sunday article about the sacrifice and commitment Britt made once the decision was made to go to college coaching.
I am a family friend and knew of the cold turkey jump to start from scratch doing what he loved college baseball. Not many of us will leave a comfortable job and start doing something that pays nothing. The life of coaching is said you were hired to be fired. A few short years Britt has risen to assistant baseball coach and if they turn around the program at App State then it won't be long it will be his turn to be a head coach. It only proves hard work pays off.
Trying to keep it in the family today a friend of Britt Johnson Brooks Doughtie has a similar story. He is two years older than Britt and a graduate of Rocky Mount High and North Carolina State. He has a degree in Coastal Management environmental Science and spent six years riding fishing boats protecting species on the endangered list.
He too wanted more and started coaching triathlon athletes in Raleigh. He went to work in a bicycle shop to Have income plus bikes are one third of a Tri race.
Brooks had just returned Sunday from the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs Co where he was invited in special training sessions for coaches through the US Olympic Committee. Just so happen a Tri Athlon was held Saturday with runners all over the world were there.
Brooks has hundreds of athletes that he coaches around the US. 2016 his coached runners in all age groups won 17 races and 15 times his runners got on the podium in 2nd or 3rd. A proud moment one of his coached professional runners finished 3rd in a world event Saturday in Colorado Springs. It's a first podium for one of his professional athletes.
We are all hoping in the near future in the Doughtie family to hear if he will be named by the US Olympic Committee as a Tri coach for the October World Tri championship in Brussels Belgium.
Two locals Britt Johnson and Brooks Doughtie saw what they wanted to do and through hard work and sacrifice are reaping the rewards of their commitment.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
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