6/24/2009 6:00:00 PM
Coach Shan Winstead:
It's my time to give back
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By STEVE SWOGETINSKY
Sports Editor
Shan Winstead grew up playing sports at Northside Park.
Now he's coaching at the park and loving every minute of it.
"When I was growing up, there were a group of men who gave their time to help at the park," Winstead recalled. "I remember Tom Allen, Benny Cumberland and Nelson White always being out there. They were my coaches going through my growing-up years. Now it's my turn to give something back."
Winstead and his wife, Rana, have two daughters, Laken Del and BreeAnna. Laken plays on her dad's teams now and BreeAnna most likely will in years to come.
Winstead coaches a league team during the summer season. He is also one of the coaches for "Chicks With Sticks," a tournament team that plays on the weekend. Other coaches on that team include Doug Jones, Dr. Andy Dabbs and Windi Copeland.
"We all work and give our time to the kids," Winstead said. "Windi is our team mom and she really keeps us together. We wouldn't make it without her.
"We are in a rebuilding year right now," Winstead said. "As eight-year-olds, these girls were one hit away from winning a Dizzy Dean World Series championship. This year, we are nine-year-olds playing with 10-year-olds. We have played in five tournaments this summer, and you can see how much they have improved.
"I'm hoping we can keep these girls together for as long as possible," Winstead said. "Some have been here since day one. Maybe one day, they can look back and say they played together every year."
Winstead was born and raised in Philadelphia and has lived here all but six months of his life.
He graduated from Neshoba Central in 1993 and finished with a degree in forestry at East Mississippi Community College.
"After I graduated from East Mississippi, I moved to Bastrop, La., where I had a job down there," Winstead said. "But it didn't take me long to realize that was a mistake and we moved back home. I haven't left since."
When he got back, Winstead worked in forestry for a while. But circumstances introduced him to the body shop business, and today he owns his own business, Shan's Paint and Body.
"I fell into something that I really love," Winstead said. "We do insurance work and walk-ins. I worked in all of the shops until I purchased the property where my business is located. I have really been blessed."
He loves coaching softball, but he also loves high school football on Friday night. During the last year, he has been a member of the stat crew for Neshoba Central.
"I love sports and Friday night high school football is my favorite," Winstead said. "I have really enjoyed walking the sidelines and being close to the action again. We have a lot of fun."
Winstead played for Rockets' coach, Chuck Friend, and remembers his lessons learned while wearing a Rockets' uniform.
"It molded me," Winstead said. "When you can go through the two-a-days on a hot August days, or run scout team running back as a 10th grader, you learn not to quit.
"But what I remember is that the coaches really cared about us. Coach Friend, Coach Cheatham, and Coach Mullins really cared about us as people, and that's always meant something to me."
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