High school baseball: Hampshire baseball coach John Sarna steps down

Hampshire baseball coach John Sarna made his mind up earlier this spring that he would resign after the Whip-Purs’ season.

Sarna followed through with that on Saturday after the Whips’ 3-2 loss to DeKalb in their own Class 4A regional championship at The Yard. He submitted his letter of resignation to Hampshire Principal Brett Bending and athletic director Dave Hicks after the game.

Sarna stepped down because he missed spending time with his children, Logan, 11, and Lucy, 9.

“I’m missing out on my kids,” Sarna said. “I wasn’t able to be there at all this spring. It’s not working anymore to miss out on stuff, especially in the summer with all the summer baseball responsibilities.”

Sarna coached Hampshire for six seasons. Although the Whips finished in the basement of the Fox Valley Conference this season, they handed a loss to second-place Crystal Lake South and made it to a regional championship game.

In his letter, Sarna thanked the administrators for the opportunity to lead the Whips for the last six seasons.

“My time as head coach has created incredible friendships and produced many unforgettable memories,” Sarna said.

“Now is the time for me to focus on my team at home, and there will be special memories that are yet to come in Little League, volleyball and outdoor education. They may not be as exciting as a walk-off win against an FVC opponent, but unlike high school baseball, there isn’t always a ‘next time’ for many of those moments.”

Sarna said he knew during this season that stepping down was the right decision.

“I just want to be more involved with my kids,” he said. “This spring I was completely away from the kids and I hated it. I took a long, hard look at it and I like being involved in baseball, but being a head coach, I can’t do that.”