Feb. 20, 2007

by Louis Bonnette

It's been almost 17 years since Charlie Phillips last pulled on a McNeese State baseball uniform.

But, he hasn't put down his glove.

The former Cowboy all-conference infielder is now giving back some of the things he learned and cherished as a player.

He does it locally with the young kids he has coached through the different youth baseball leagues and camps he has helped put on throughout Southwest Louisiana with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

And, he does it on the international level through a sports ministry.

He's helped put on baseball clinics and camps in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic and next January he will be making a trek to El Salvador.

"It was about four years ago that I got involved through our mission board at Trinity Baptist," he said, "and I have really enjoyed going and working with these kids."

Phillips said that he says kids but there were many adults (ages four to 40) at the clinics and camps that are conducted.

In the Dominican Republic, last November, he said there were 6,000 at the camps.

"Some would show up in baseball clothes, some in street clothes. Some had gloves, some didn't," he said.

Phillips said that at that particular camp, which was conducted on eight different fields, minor league players and coaches, high school coaches and college coaches were all on the staff including one Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees.

He said that each coach would work a station and that it went just like a baseball camp with everyone working on hitting, fielding, pitching and base running.

"The groups were smaller in Nicaragua but just as passionate about the game."

Most of the time the trips are about a week long.

"I miss my kids and my wife while I'm gone but I'm not lonely," he said. "You see a lot of smiling faces at these camps and it's very easy to build a relationship with them. We would have vacation bible school each morning at a mission church."

He said that when a group heads down they try to bring as many balls, bats and gloves as they can.

"I've also taken down tee-shirts and caps that have been donated by the McNeese State and Barbe High baseball programs," he said.

Phillips got his first taste at working youth baseball camps when he was playing for the Cowboys, spending time with then McNeese coach Tony Robichaux at his camps.

At McNeese he became a four year letterman for the Cowboys and twice led the team in doubles. Phillips earned first team all-conference honors in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and played at both shortstop and second base.

Charlie Phillips as an all-conference infielder for the Cowboys

He continues to rank among the school's all-time leaders, 10th in RBIs with 111, second in doubles with 46, sixth in runs scored with 125 and fifth in base hits with 182. He also had a .327 career batting average.

Phillips said that his baseball career was guided by many coaches and tutors, one of them being Robichaux. Others were Carrol Fruge, Russell Cart, Dr. Harry Castle, Stewart Reed, Cliff Shoemake, Randy Harris, Cheeks Fontenot, Rod Rodriguez and Nolan Moore.

"Recently I was visiting with my family about the past," he said, "and it made me think about my life now. I desire to be an all-conference husband, dad, friend, and volunteer. As we get older our vision and goals change. I am so thankful to all my teachers and coaches and I hope to continue the same values that they passed down to me," he added.