Photo by Howard Owens.
Health issues and a desire to see his son play more baseball in his final season with the Batavia Blue Devils have led Jim Fazio to step down as head coach of the Batavia High School softball team.
He leaves after achieving an important personal goal: Helping the girl's team win a sectional title.
"The team means the world to me," Fazio told The Batavian at Dwyer Stadium during the Batavia Muckdogs game on Monday evening. "Ever since I started coaching, it was a dream to win a sectional title. To finally get it this year, it's just something that, you know, you just dream about."
Fazio has been coaching since 2000 and became varsity softball coach in 2018.
Under the circumstances, coaching in 2024 isn't possible, he said. He's been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and is on two waiting lists for a kidney transplant.
"That's the main reason why I'm stepping down," Fazio said. "I think I should be able to coach tennis, but things right now are up in the air."
His son is also entering his senior year, and in the spring, Fazio wants to take the time to see more of his son's baseball games.
"I miss a lot of his games because their schedule almost mimics ours," Fazio said.
Photo by Howard Owens.
