By STEVE KRAH
Aaron Hannon was drawn to coaching because of the coach-player relationship.
Hannon enjoyed that as a baseball catcher at John Adams High School‘ in South Bend, Ind., with head coaches Joel Reinebold (now at South Bend Clay) and Scott Sherry (now at Whiteland) and assistant John Huemmer (now at Mishawaka).
“They built that relationship with me,” says Hannon, who is heading into his sixth season as head baseball coach at Paoli (Ind.) High School in Orange County and is also the defensive coordinator for Rams football. “All three are examples of people who are building people and not just players.
“They took the time to develop kids.”
Hannon played football at Hanover (Ind.) College for Wayne Perry, a man who took the same approach to coaching.
“He found it just as important to mentor and mold young men and as make football players,” says Hannon. “I respect him and everything he did for me.”
Hannon, who graduated from Adams in 2001 and Hanover in 2005, is emphasizing fundamentals with his Paoli baseball players while building a sense of trust.
“If you can’t do the basic things it’s going to be difficult,” says Hannon. “When we build those relationships, I can ask things of them and they are willing to go the extra mile.
“When they are comfortable, they can have conversation with you that they can’t have when you keep kids at a distance.”
Hannon wants his young athletes to discover the reason for doing things in a certain way.
“Why are we doing this?,” says Hannon. “We have to understand the why.
“The fun part as a coach is seeing the kids take ownership once they understand what’s going on. It’s not just adults pulling the strings.”
Hannon is assisted in 2021 by Springs Valley Junior-Senior High School graduate Chris Meehan and Forest Park Junior-Senior High School alum Jaxon Cronin.
“As coaches, we don’t take things for granted,” says Hannon. “We don’t assume the kid knows something. I think the kids appreciate that.
“We want to make sure we’re all on the same page and in the same flow.”
Hannon wants his players to shoot him straight and he returns the favor.
“You have to be honest,” says Hannon. “Kids respect honesty.”
The same concepts — honesty and communication — are at work for Hannon as a fifth grade math teacher at Throop Elementary in Paoli.
“Feedback is huge,” says Hannon. “Kids can tell you things you had no idea was going on.
“It’s just important for me to listen to what that kid is saying.”
Paoli (enrollment around 430) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Mitchell‘, Orleans, Perry Central, Springs Valley and West Washington).
The Rams are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Mitchell (the 2021 host), North Knox and South Knox‘. Paoli has won eight sectional crowns — the last in 1995.
Aside from conference and sectional games, the Rams are slated to play Eastern (Pekin), Scottsburg, Shoals, Northeast Dubois, Brownstown Central, Henryville, Lanesville, North Harrison and Cannelton. The Rams are to take part in the May 15 Les Page Classic at Loogootee (which also features Princeton Community and Tecumseh).
Paoli play its home games on a lighted on-campus diamond called Trinkle Field. It is named in honor of Ken Trinkle, a Paoli native who pitched for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940’s and served as a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II.
The high school program is fed by seventh and eighth graders who play and practice in the spring on Trinkle Field.
Paoli Youth Diamond Sports serves players age 4 through sixth grade at Paoli Community Park.
With Hannon coaching football and many athletes involved in football, cross country and tennis in the fall, most off-season baseball team activities started after Christmas break.
Of 23 players in the program, one is a senior. With COVID-19 taking away the 2020 season, the last time three of those players appeared in a varsity game was as freshmen in 2019.
“We’ll have lots of competition and varying lineups to see what are best combination is,” says Hannon. “I’m excited. It’s been very fun group to worth with so far.”
Seven seniors graduated in 2020, including current Indiana Tech reserve squad player Aron Busick.
Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.
Aaron and Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team.
Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.
Aaron and 1999 Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team.
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