Wheelchair-using baseball coach in Canada up for Most Valuable Coach

From The Montreal Gazette in Canada:

His coaching résumé speaks for itself. In 13 years, Carey Ashton (pictured) has led his teams in the N.D.G. Lynx baseball program to an astounding record of 282 wins, 76 losses and three ties. During the last six years, Ashton's teams have won five provincial championships. And as a bench coach for the McGill University Redbirds baseball team the past seven years, Ashton helped bring that team a national championship in 2006.

On those merits alone, Ashton's position as one of six national finalists for the Campbell's Chunky Soup Most Valuable Coach Award would be no surprise.

But Ashton is so much more than that, so much more than all those wins and a few losses.

Just the fact that Ashton is at practice every day is a story of great inspiration.

Ashton, 50, has suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy his entire life. Given the diagnosis at age 7, Ashton has been wheelchair-bound since age 19.

"I know the wheelchair thing is ... well ... different," Ashton said. "Everyone must think that's pretty cool. And I'm not shy to say it, I think it's pretty cool, too."

Ashton was first drawn into coaching baseball out of necessity 13 years ago because his son Wayne's house-league team needed one. Ashton was at each of his son's games anyway, so coaching the team wouldn't have been that much more difficult.

But eventually that same need for coaches creeped up to the competitive ranks, and N.D.G. Baseball asked Ashton in 2001 if he would be interested. He had his doubts at first, because competitive baseball meant travelling and a lot more practice time. Still, despite his trepidation, Ashton took the plunge.

It was not an easy decision.

Ashton travelled to and from practice by wheelchair from his apartment in St. Henri, often carrying Wayne with him on his lap. He has since moved to Cavendish Blvd., cutting his wheelchair journey in half.

If that wasn't complicated enough, Ashton also needed to arrange travel to and from games, which required a special van. And because he needs the help of his wife, Sharon, to care for himself, every time Ashton needed to travel to a tournament requiring an overnight stay it meant Sharon, Wayne and their daughters Rebecca and Taylor came along for the trip as well.

It's enough to make you wonder if it is all worth it, but that's not a question Ashton asks himself too often.

People with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are rarely expected to live past their early 30s, which is what made Ashton's 50th birthday last year so much more of a celebration.

"To reach 50 was very special, and baseball was a big part of that," Ashton said. "A lot of people look at baseball as a game, but for me, it's literally a life saver."

Ashton's presence as a coach does not come cheap, unfortunately. He estimates it costs the N.D.G. Baseball organization $15,000 to $20,000 a year extra to have him in the dugout barking orders at his players.

Parents hold fundraising events throughout the year to come up with the extra cash, and the reason they do it is because they want their kids to be exposed to Ashton's positive energy all summer.

That's where the Most Valuable Coach Award would be most felt, because it comes with a $25,000 prize for the organization.

Ashton was nominated for the award by one of his players, Alex Carmel, and when he was told of it last year he didn't think much of it.

Then Ashton received a call last month from TV sports broadcaster TSN, which is a partner in the award, to tell him he was one of six finalists.

To vote for Carey Ashton for the Campbell's Chunky Soup Most Valuable Coach Award, visit www.chunkymvc.ca. Voting closes March 14 and the winner will be announced on March 22.