Family first: Baseball coach, educator George Laase leaving Staunton High School
STAUNTON — George Laase is leaving Staunton High School. He announced that he will be stepping away from both teaching and coaching this summer to pursue other opportunities. Laase told his players Thursday afternoon.
Laase is in his second stint as Staunton's head baseball coach, returning in the spring of 2016 to the position. He also coached the team in 2011 and 2012 before taking a break to focus on coaching in the Valley Baseball League.
His wife, Jesse Laase, is pregnant with twins due in December. George Laase said it was just time to focus on their family.
The couple lives in Grottoes and plans to remain in the area. Laase also plans to continue coaching the Strasburg Express in the Valley Baseball League. He led them to a championship last summer.
Laase was also the virtual learning coordinator at Staunton High School before resigning his position this year, and has previously been SAT coordinator and DMV testing coordinator.
"In today's world everyone gets caught up in winning at all costs and final scores, but the children have to always come first." Laase said. "In 10 years I'll know what kind of teams I've had and what kind of coach I was because they will be good people and good fathers. Those are the victories we fought for every day."
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Laase said he's been waiting for so long to be a dad and he believes he owes it to his family to go all in on doing just that. He's invested so much into other people's children for many years now, and it's time to invest in his own children.
"It wasn't easy," Laase said of the decision. "This has been home to me and the people I work with have been my family,"
Laase is originally from Ohio and ended up in Staunton in 2003 when he played for the Braves one summer while in college. Eventually, he returned to the area to coach the summer league team and ended up making his home in Staunton.
"Staunton has been the place where I've gotten an opportunity to come into my own identity," Laase said.
By teaching at Staunton High School he said he's had a chance to interact with students who didn't play baseball. He feels blessed to have had a relationship with those kids.
He also nearly lost his mom at the end of last year, and that made him even more determined to start his own family.
His mom finished chemotherapy last August for a reoccurrence of cancer, but she couldn't get the COVID vaccine during her treatments. That led to her contracting the virus and ending up on a ventilator. The family was told she may not make it and a priest was called to come to her bedside.
"She fought back though," Laase wrote in a text message late last year. "Prayers and God, man. It was a miracle."
His mom eventually got off the ventilator and came out of a coma, opening her eyes.
"It was like winning the lottery," Laase said. "Because we know when most people went on the ventilator they never made it."
Laase is considering a few opportunities for his next job, which may or may not be in education. He hopes to make a decision soon.
"I want to thank all my administrators, colleagues, parents, students, coaching staff and players for such an unforgettable experience," Laase said. "It truly was an honor to represent the city of Staunton with pride. It was a job that meant the world to me."
Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton High's George Laase announces he's leaving as Storm baseball coach
