Foundation names new head baseball coach

A former Royal is now a Lion.

Dakoda Grove, a First Academy alum and former head baseball coach at East Ridge High, is the new head coach of Foundation Academy’s baseball team.

“I’m excited because I know the ceiling for Foundation is extremely high,” he said. “I’m excited because (of the opportunity) to being open to talking faith with the players. … I grew up a Christian, went to TFA and always have talked about (faith). … That is how I live my life.” 

Those who followed Groves’ path from East Ridge to Foundation know it was more than coincidence.

“It was a God moment, if you will,” interim Athletic Director Robert East said. “We were looking to fill the position here at the school while Dakoda was looking to serve in a school like ours, and it was just sort of a match made in heaven.” 

A BASEBALL LIFE

Born in the Orlando area and raised in Winter Garden, Grove’s earliest baseball memory dates back to when he was only 4 or 5 years old.

“My dad (TFA head coach Scott Grove) was coaching for the Georgia Stars, which was a summer collegiate team in Georgia,” he said. “I was probably 4 or 5 years old, and I got to stay in the dorms all summer and be around college athletes. That was probably the first memory I had — just being at the baseball field all day and getting to interact with everyone.” 

Grove played all his life and wanted to spend as much time as possible enjoying the game he loved. However, during his last year of college at Bethune-Cookman University, he tore two discs in his back while diving for a catch. The injury ended his baseball career as a player but catapulted his coaching career.

“When I went down with the injury — the last week of fall ball (in 2021) — I was told I was never to play again from doctors after an MRI, and they advised that I hang it up,” he said. “I was pretty upset for a while and then had the opportunity to join the coaching staff at Bethune-Cookman University. I’ve been coaching ever since.” 

Having gone to college for a business degree, coaching was not something Grove saw in his future career plans. But after coaching first base for the Wildcats, he fell in love with it.

“I grew up watching my dad (coach) and being at the baseball field all day,” he said. “So, when I first got hurt, it was a pretty upsetting time, because I thought being around the game would be over. I wasn’t really planning on getting into coaching, but then the opportunity presented itself. It was really exciting being around baseball. It’s awesome, so I’m very excited to keep doing it.”

A NEW LION

Foundation received stacks of applications for its baseball coach opening before the job even was made public. 

“Because of the public nature of the varsity head-coaching position becoming available, we received several inquiries and enough that we didn’t feel the need — or take the time — to publish it as an opening,” East said. “We felt we had several qualified candidates to choose from.” 

Grove has paved his own path since he first started coaching a couple of years ago. 

“I could have stayed at college a couple of more years as an assistant coach and probably just start working under my dad at TFA, then eventually get that job when he was done,” he said. “But, I didn’t really want to do that, because I wanted to make a name for myself. Everyone, of course, knows who my dad is. That is why I was so excited to start at East Ridge — kind of away from his area of town in Orlando. I started making a name for myself (there), and then, when this job became available, I was really excited, because I want to be here long-term.” 

But what is it about baseball that has captivated Grove for his entire life?

“Baseball is a tough sport to really ever master; there is a lot of failing in it,” he said. “So, I played the three sports — baseball, basketball and football — until I got to high school, when I just started focusing on baseball. .. For baseball, you really just have to work every day, or you are going to get humbled. So, that challenge of trying to master it, which no one ever does, but working every day to try to, that really grew my love for baseball.” 

Grove brings with him a new outlook to the game of baseball to Foundation for upcoming seasons that he expects will continue the Lions’ winning ways.

“He brings a youthful enthusiasm, a love for the sport, a love for working with student-athletes,” East said. “And of course, an enthusiasm for using baseball as a vehicle to reach young men through Christ.”