Goldsmith takes the next step

New PHS baseball coach looks to build

By: Bob Nuse
   Scott Goldsmith has grown as a coach right along with his players.
   "I started out with these seniors back in Little League and then in middle school," said Goldsmith, who is beginning his first season as the head baseball coach at Princeton High. "I coached at the middle school for two years and then four years with the JV. I’ve had a good long run with these kids and I’m hoping we can end with a good season."
   Goldsmith, who has also been an assistant football coach at Princeton for the last six years, takes over as the head coach from John Miranda. Now in his second year as the Princeton athletic director, Miranda relinquished his head coaching duties prior to this season.
   "We’re going to change some of the things we do and keep a lot of the stuff that John did the same," Goldsmith said. "I want us to stay mentally in each game and not have bad innings. We want to be able to play with the other teams in the area and not be intimidated just because we’re playing a Hamilton or a Steinert. I want us to feel like we can play with any team.
   "We’ll use our speed as much as we can. I think that will be one of the strengths of our team. We’ll look to hit-and-run and move runners along as much as we can."
   Goldsmith has been involved with Princeton baseball for several years. Since graduating from Northeastern University, he has coached at the Little League and Senior Babe Ruth levels in addition to his six years with the high school program. Being familiar with the players will certainly help the transition to a new coach.
   "They know how I coach and I know how they play, it’s just a different title for all of us," said Goldsmith, a 1996 PHS graduate who also played football for the Little Tigers. "The guys who play football, I’ve been with them a lot because I’ve been coaching football for six years.
   "When I came back I started coaching in Little League first and then gradually got more involved."
   Goldsmith is one of a growing number of PHS grads who have come back to the school to coach, joining the likes of Jason Carter and Shahid Abdul-Karim.
   "That was one of the things I was looking to do," said Goldsmith, who will begin teaching special education at Johnson Park School in April. "I was still looking to get into law enforcement, but I also wanted to coach and I felt like that is where I could contribute the best."
   Now he gets his first shot at being a head coach, following Miranda, who could not combine his baseball and athletic director duties.
   "I know it has been tough for him," Goldsmith said. "When I left high school, that was when he came in as a coach for the first year. He’s been doing it for 10 years except for that year he was on active (military) duty. He’s been able to help us a little when he has time. He’s a great help with the pitching. He’s still helping us in sort of an advisory role."
   Goldsmith will take whatever help he can as he looks to build the Princeton High baseball program. It’s a challenge he is looking forward to.
   "I’m looking to build a program," he said. "We have great numbers at the middle school. We have so many kids out that we’re hoping to be able to field two teams if we have the space and the fields. We’d like to be able to keep all of the kids involved if there is enough interest.
   "I also want to try to get involved with the Little League and get everyone on the same page as far as developing players. We’ll be holding a clinic this weekend at the high school."
   The clinic, in the PHS gym, will run from 10 a.m. until noon as well as from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday. The cost is $25 and benefits the baseball program.
   Many of those players who attend could wind up being future players at the high school level for Goldsmith. He’s hoping that happens, and that those players enjoy the success he envisions for the program.