A Dad for All Seasons

Jonathan Myrick, with his Little League team, was described as committed "to all of his surrogate sons on the team." (By Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post)
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His older brother interrupts. "Dylan, he only yelled at you twice the whole season," he says.

Myrick overhears and laughs.

"That's why we lost so much," he jokes.

When Myrick thinks about how he has managed to coach so much as a single father, he says it has helped to have flexibility in his work schedule and neighbors to depend on if child-care gaps arise. His sister-in-law still comes to help once every week or so.

Anything else?

He ponders. "I'm a glutton for punishment? No personal life?"

In a sense, he adds, coaching has made life easier because he can set his sons' practice times and minimize schedule conflicts. It has gotten harder, he said, as his older son has moved on to other teams.

One sport that Myrick does not coach is swimming, but the pool is clearly part of his family's life and part of what makes Shouse Village, with about 260 houses, so connected. Both Myrick boys are part of the Shouse Sharks swim team.

Like swim parents everywhere, Myrick is on deck for all of the meets. "He's there, grilling the burgers and doing the timing on the Saturday meets," said Glenn Harris, who is president of the homeowners association. "You'd think as a single parent he would say, 'I can't help, there's only one of me,' but he's always involved."