Roanoke Valley youth baseball coach named Subway Volunteer Coach of the Year

Every year through WSLS-10's partnership with Subway, the community nominates youth coaches who have made an impact on their team. 

This year, Joyce Goodwin, whose grandson is on the 13U YardDawgs, nominated his coach Chris Perdue. 

"I nominated coach Chris for all he does for these boys. He takes them on as family, makes sure they get to the practices, their games, he feeds them, he invites them to his home," she said. "He's an all around mentor, and he loves baseball, but he is a mentor to the boys, some of them, they need him."

So when we surprised Perdue at his baseball practice Tuesday with dinner, a Subway gift card, and other goodies, he was shocked. 

"I don't think I deserve it. I mean, I do what I think anyone else would do," Perdue said. "These guys love playing baseball, I got the free time, and that's what I like to do, spend time with them."

The feeling was mutual with his players. 

"He does a lot of stuff for everybody. He's a good coach and he knows a lot about baseball. He taught me how to try your best at everything and do your best," Dylan Gonce said. 

"He cares about them if they're down and out. He cares about them if they do bad in a game, but he cares about them as a person," Goodwin said.