By Declan O’Malley, Journal contributor

After leading Friday Harbor High School to a successful season and a state tournament berth, head coach Jon Smith has been named Baseball Coach of the Year for the Northwest 2B/1B League.

For Smith, the honor represents more than just individual achievement — it reflects the collective effort of his coaching staff and team leaders.

“To me, the Coach of the Year award means that our team bonded together so well that the entire league was impressed with our boys when they took the field,” Smith said. “As the head coach, my name may be on the certificate, but the credit for molding this team into the well-oiled machine that upset the third-ranked team in the state goes to the coaching staff — Kirk Holt, Daniel Jang, and Nathan Posenjack — and our seniors: Triston Bremer, Mason Smith, and Marcos Soto.”

Smith emphasized that the season’s success was rooted in shared leadership.

“This season was a collective effort that was successful because our team leaders took ownership of the process and mentored the younger players,” he said. “The motivation that the seniors were able to instill in the team was inspirational, and I anticipate the feeling will carry forward into next season.”

This was Smith’s second year as head coach of the varsity baseball program at Friday Harbor, though he’s been coaching in various roles for most of his life. In addition to leading the baseball team, Smith is also an assistant coach for the Wolverine varsity football team and serves as a board member and coach for Friday Harbor Challenger Little League.

His coaching journey began in high school when he helped coach his younger brother’s eighth-grade basketball team. Since then, he has coached football, basketball and baseball at a variety of levels — particularly as his own children came up through youth sports.

Smith describes his coaching style as adaptive, with a focus on tailoring strategies to each team and player.

“Every season is different. I work closely with the other coaches and team captains to assess our strengths and figure out how to keep our environment both motivated and supportive,” he said. “To me, mindset is everything.”

Much of Smith’s coaching philosophy is shaped by his time in the military, where he learned the value of discipline, composure under pressure and perspective during adversity. He considers coaching a way to pass those life lessons on to the next generation.

His ultimate goal is to help shape young men into confident, capable adults, placing special emphasis on leadership development.

One of his proudest moments this season came when he arrived at practice to find the players had already set up and begun running drills on their own.

“They were clearly having fun, and it showed me that they were becoming self-motivated leaders,” Smith said.

For aspiring coaches, Smith shared some advice.

“Always remember that while these kids are under our care, we are more than just coaches — we are their on-field parents and teachers,” he said. “Remain patient, keep realistic expectations for your players’ emotional and physical abilities, and treat each child as if they were your own.”