The game of softball has given Raeford Mote so much. Growing up, Mote and his brother, Wayne, used to play catch in the front yard when they were kids.
“He and I played a lot of softball,” Mote recalled. “We put a lot of time into it, and we loved it. I played it all my life up until I turned 55 years old.”
His love for softball led Mote to coach local kids in Garland. For over 15 years, Mote dedicated himself to teaching through sports.
“The first thing I would do is coach the parents,” he explained.
“I would tell them that their kids were mine for a whole hour; they could have them back when I was through with them. I didn’t want any hollering, no telling their kids what to do and what not to do. As soon as that hour was up, they got them back,” he added, laughing. “But that’s basically how I coached them. I taught them the fundamentals of how to hit, a hitting run, and running; they’ve got to learn that first; you can’t just get out there and think you can hit a ball and know everything.”
Typically, Mote would take his team out to the field during practices consistently outside of games. It was easier for him, since the ballpark was relatively close to his house. That practice paid off, as Mote’s teams won often.
“All the teams that I ever had, we won everything,” he emphasized. “When I retired from coaching, the other coaches were tickled. They said, “Now maybe we can win. I’d have a little league team every year, and they never lost more than one to two games over the years that I coached.”
His favorite moments always came from watching his players.
“Just being with the youngens out there,” Mote recalled. “When you had them out there playing, that was my favorite thing to watch. Some of the kids that I coached, they played school ball, whether it was softball or baseball. I had kids that would play both. Most of the ages that I worked with were from eight to 10.”
His two sons, Kevin and Jeremy, were also among his young talent.
“Both of them were good at the game,” Mote recalled “When Jeremy was 10 years old, they had a fence that was almost at the softball field. As he got moved to that field, people asked how long do you think it would take for him to hit a home run? and I said probably his first pitch, and that’s what he done. In the tournament, he was upset and started crying because they weren’t pitching to him anymore. But he scored 15 times out of the 16 times he was walked, because whenever they did that, I put a good hitter behind him. I told him that he would score every time with the hitters we had in our lineup.”
When it came to coaching his kids, it came more naturally than with other players.
“Most of the time it was easier coaching mine, because they were here in the ball fields with me,” Mote said. “I didn’t have to coach them like I had to coach the rest of the team. I had to put more time with the other players, but they did come along and do really well. We found time to hit the ball and practice to help them develop.”
His efforts in coaching earned Mote a spot in the Southern Softball Association of America Hall of Fame in Peter Creek. His brother Wayne, who died a few years ago, also received the accolade.
“It was a joy that we got into the Hall,” he expressed. “Three years ago, my brother passed. He was good and loved ball just like I did. He got into the Hall of Fame first, and then, the next year, I got in after him.”
Years later, even in retirement, the game of softball still holds a spot in Mote’s memories, a good spot he likes to go.
“We put a lot of time and effort out there,” he said. “People used to go out and enjoy the ball games. That’s the reason they’re trying to get it built back up (Cain Park). They just got some new lights put up and that makes a difference. It makes more people want to come out there and watch. Now that I’m retired from working, I’m able to spend more time when I want to get out there. I’ve even called (as an official) a couple of the ball games since I retired.”