About Us
About Coach Frank
He always loved baseball, and from a young age Coach Frank caught, pitched and fielded his way through little league, high school and even a tryout with the Detroit Tigers. When his own kids came of age, it was apparent that they’d inherited his talent and passion, so his energy was directed toward helping them to find their places on their respective teams. His coaching career began with a 9-year-old Cub Scout team in 1992, and spanned a stint as director of both his son and daughter’s age groups leagues in what was known then as the Plymouth Canton Junior Baseball League (PCJBL).
It was always about the players who he called his “kids”. If you played for Coach Frank, you knew he was 100% behind you. He believed in you and motivated you to be the best you could be, both on and off the field. Grades mattered, getting to practice on time and prepared mattered, and he helped his players learn respect for one another and themselves.
Above all else, he valued fairness. Talent was a plus on his teams, but if a player had the heart, Coach Frank would find a way to make him or her belong. Filling in the score book during a game or keeping track of the team equipment were jobs as important as a glove in the field.
Coach Frank believed that in order to give your best, you should look your best. He believed that clean and good fitting uniforms made a player proud to be part of a team and encouraged pride and a sense of
belonging. Even his little league teams wore matching tee shirts, some of which he provided. In high school sports, his practices were run with precision, with each girl wearing a piece of clothing that proudly displayed her team affiliation. If a player couldn’t afford a tee shirt, Coach Frank would magically find one in a stash he kept in his very full bag, or he’d find another way to get one to her.
One of his kids approaching Coach Frank to confide that their family couldn’t afford to allow them to play was heartbreaking to him. “Pay to play” was an especially painful concept to a man who believed that playing a team sport for the fun of it was a great way to bring out the best in a person. Many of his former players might say that this was his legacy.
Coach Frank Foundation Board Members
Kelli Szczepanski
President, Founder
Kelli, daughter of Coach Frank, founded the Coach Frank Foundation as a way to preserve his memory and to give back to the community in which he gave his time and his wisdom through coaching.
She spent countless hours on baseball fields watching her older brother, Ben, play for Coach Frank, so when the time came for Kelli to pick a sport, it was only natural to follow in Ben’s footsteps. From little league through high school, Kelli played for Coach Frank which kickstarted her career at the collegiate level and his career as the JV softball coach at Salem High School.
Kelli attributes her personal and professional successes to her involvement in team sports during her formative years. She recognized the privilege she had to have to not only have two supportive parents, but to also have the financial means to participate on a team. Her definition of CFF success is, “even if we help one girl get the opportunity to become a part of a team – to have a sense of belonging – to feel supported and to learn the life lessons that sports teach, we will be successful.”
Kelli is joined in her efforts by the members of the CFF Board, Chloe Ball, Sarah Musa and Lindsay Reynolds.
Coach Frank Foundation 