Jesse McKee was out on the North Callaway field in Auxvasse yet again on July 30.

McKee was leading a drill with the junior high softball players on the team’s last day of camp. He has spent countless hours on this field as an assistant softball and baseball head coach, and he received a promotion in May to be North Callaway’s new head baseball coach.

McKee has been an assistant coach for the softball program, led by his wife Mariah, for eight years and has been an assistant for baseball for five years. The baseball team has played in three straight district championship games, winning two of them. 

“I’m super excited for the opportunity,” McKee said. “I’m excited to continue the success we’ve had the last few years.”

McKee graduated from Smith-Cotton High School and played baseball for Crowder College and Central Methodist University. He had coaching experience for the junior and senior legion summer programs in Sedalia after he graduated from college and has stuck with the game ever since.

“I’ve always been drawn to the game and just wanted to be around it,” McKee said. “Growing up, my dad had a love for the game. It’s something I’ve always done since I was four or five years old.”

Ever since coming to North Callaway, McKee has enjoyed his time in the area. His reasoning goes beyond success.

“It’s just being around the kids,” McKee said. “They buy into the program and what we’re trying to do. They all have goals to be successful. We’ve been able to have a pretty successful program, and it starts with them and the effort and hard work they put in for the season and offseason.”

McKee said there are plenty of younger kids going through the program, but some have quite a bit of varsity experience already. There have been successes and failures for each of them, but he said North Callaway can continue to compete like they have done. 

While he has been around the last several years, McKee said he is open to new approaches if they are necessary. He said there is an established culture that the returning players can maintain, and he will help them however he can.

“We have a solid foundation,” McKee said. “You’re a different team each and every year. As a coach, you’ve got to be willing to adapt, always learn and bring in new things to help the team that you have that year. I’m always open to trying new things, but the standards that we’ve made stay the same.”