Jeff Banister was the son of a high school football coach but his mother, Verda, played an equally huge role in his life as a young athlete. Early on, his dad’s coaching schedule often prevented him from attending all of the practices and games when Banister was getting started.
“She was the one that made sure I got to every Little League game, every practice,” Banister said. She was even the president of Little League for a time. “When coaches were late she would step in.”
And when Banister wanted to practice in the backyard, she even put on a mitt, even though she wasn’t a particularly strong athlete.