Andy Butler ready for Legion Baseball season to start
Andy Butler is from Hastings, and grew up playing Legion baseball.
By News Channel NebraskaNORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - Andy Butler is from Hastings, and grew up playing Legion baseball. He was the North Platte FNBO Nationals junior coach a few seasons ago, before he left to teach and coach in Nebraska City. Butler recently moved back to North Platte to teach at North Platte High School. He is an assistant coach for the Bulldog football and soccer teams, and will be the FNBO Nationals senior coach this season.
"Baseball is just one of those deals, school gets out and it's kind of an itch to get back onto the diamond. You spend so much time out here from the age of you know five, whatever it is, and you play all the way through. Having that not be a constant, it kind of it leads to something missing, so to have this opportunity to get back out and be with a lot of those guys that I would have seen in the halls that fourth quarter and maybe a little bit in spring sports, it's nice to rekindle some of those relationships," Butler said.
Try-outs for the FNBO Nationals will be held Monday June 1 and Tuesday June 2. Butler is excited to get back to playing baseball, as he believes it will bring a sense of normalcy back to the lives of the players.
"We didn't have anything normal for so long, so now to get back to playing the game that they love, and to have some fun, that's normal," Butler said.
Over the course of the first week, Butler will make sure his team gets back into playing shape, but he also wants to make sure the players are having fun.
"I feel like that's going to be a big key word, especially at first, just have fun. We'll see where we're at, but we grew up loving the game of baseball because it was fun, and that's where we got to start first," Butler said. Then, we can do our tweaks, and get ready for games."
The FNBO Nationals season starts on June 18, with their first home game on June 21.
"I'm excited," Butler said. "Baseball is my first love, I know it's a lot of these guys' first love, and for it to be that first thing to come back to be a hint of normal, I think is special."