LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dave Bechtel was nominated by a student.

"Family. That is the motto of our Arrowhead Union High School Baseball varsity team. We were a pretty darn good group of baseball players, but to take it to the next level, we had to be together mentally," said the student.

"Every Friday, starting at the beginning of February, at 6:30 AM, we needed to be at school for "leadership"—whatever that meant. But I set my alarm for the next morning and walked into the classroom full of baseball teammates," said the student.

"Coach started the conversation by showing us an LSU Tigers hype video. That video, paired with his strong words, made me want to run through a wall. His words hit home for the whole team because we started to get closer than my main friend group in only a short period. I was beginning to understand what being a true family meant," said the student.

"Soon after, I knew everyone's name, position, and favorite restaurant. Coach Bechtel's speech meant a lot to me. He has been through it all. On top of being a baseball coach, he is a special ed teacher and is the hardest working adult I know, who wants the best for his students," said the student.

"It didn't stop there. Every session, Coach Bechtel outdid himself in the positive message he delivered about putting our team together as one instead of being selfish. Soon, I started growing closer to him and felt fully comfortable talking to him about anything at all. Home life, baseball, and school are all easy to talk about with him, as he has great advice about all of it," said the student."

"He was the freshman coach but helped with leadership, which meant I only saw him once a week outside of school until playoffs. In our first playoff game, I got called for a pinch-hit, and I knew when I got my name called that I was laying down a bunt to move the runner over," said the student.

"The last thing I looked at was Coach Bechtel, and I knew he had full faith in me to complete the job. That faith put faith in myself, and it worked because I did my job. In the dugout, Coach Bechtel gave me a big high five and said, 'You were the right guy for the job,'" said the student.

"That team sadly lost the next game by one run. It was a devastating feeling. Everyone was mellow and downcast; it seemed like a funeral. That is what was built throughout the season. We felt like a family, and after today, we weren't all going to be together anymore. Although we didn't make it as far as we wanted, we learned what it means to be a family, and I will never forget that," said the student.

"I am very thankful for all the work that Coach Bechtel has put in with me, other coaches, and my teammates. He has a positive attitude and insight into how our team should be built and run to achieve maximum quality team bonds. I am very excited for this upcoming season, where he got promoted to a varsity assistant coach, so I get the honor of spending more time with him to end my high school career," said the student.