By Roxy Ekberg
Republican Staff
Mike Mogus retires after 31 years of coaching Wakefield’s baseball and softball programs.
Mogus began his coaching career in the summer of 1991, working with the Junior and Senior Legion baseball teams just one year after he graduated from high school. Mogus continued with baseball for 18 years, taking only two years off, before switching to coach softball.
Mogus made the change because of his youngest daughters.
“They didn’t have a choice!” he said.
He began by coaching the 10U team and moved up as his daughters, Maddie and Mikkie, aged.
Maddie said baseball and softball are a large part of the family, beginning on the day she was born: when Mogus came to the delivery room in his uniform. During her freshman year of college, Maddie went on to play softball at Iowa Western.
“It was weird to hear his voice from behind home plate and not from third base,” said Maddie. “I will forever remember every hug and ‘I love you and I’m proud of you’ I got as he would put a medal around my neck, from my dad and coach.”
In his baseball coaching career, Mogus has earned multiple state champions and runner-up finished, qualified for the Mid-South Regional Tournament in Gonzalez, LA. For softball, he brought in a district championship and 3rd in the USA state tournament. However, Mogus stated that his highlights were coaching his stepsons, Luke, Ben, and Colby Henderson, and his youngest daughters. His biggest regret was not being able to coach his stepdaughter, Jenna Harvey.
“I loved having my dad as a coach,” said Mikkie. “He is the reason I love the game of softball so much. He’s taught me almost everything I know.”
Mikkie stated her favorite memory of playing for her dad is when she hit her first home run and he was the person she ran to, jumping in his arms with excitement.
“He’s always been one of my biggest supporters,” said Mikkie. “I have no doubt that he’ll be my biggest cheerleader at every one of my games next summer.”
Mogus’s love of the game and his players kept him coming back each season to coach. His passion influenced many of his players, including his stepsons.
“Mike was the definition of a player’s coach,” said Luke Henderson. “He always knew what to say to you when you were down and when you were too high, and never made the wins, losses, and championships about himself. He is one of the main reasons I love the game of baseball.”
Mogus enjoyed watching his teams improve from their first day of practice until their last game, describing the process as magical.
“Mike was fun to coach with, we got along great,” said Mike Clay, who coached baseball with Mogus for 10 years. “He really had fun and related well to the players. He knew when to have fun or push them hard.”
Over the years, the kids never changed, said Mogus. But running the program takes more time and effort than anyone realizes. Early in this year’s season, Mogus knew it was time to step down.
“I wanted to walk away on my terms with the love of both sports still embedded in my heart,” said Mogus.