Horizon coach builds proud tradition

April 15, 2005

Eric Kibler is a soft-spoken coach. There is nothing soft, however, about the highly successful baseball program he and his staff at Horizon High have constructed for the past quarter of a century.

Since the 1980-81 season, Horizon has claimed two state titles, one state runner-up finish, six final four appearances and 14 region titles. This year’s squad is in the running — and leading at the moment — in its quest for region title No. 15.

Those figures represent a remarkable run for a program regardless of sport. It’s a portfolio the school on Greenway Road and 56th Street should be proud of. The current players certainly know about the history and want to do their best to continue the success.

‘‘Horizon is my greatest experience yet in baseball,’’ senior shortstop Matt Hall, a four-year varsity letterman, said. ‘‘The way coach Kibler runs the team stands out. He keeps people happy, and he’s honest with you. There is just the right amount of competitiveness in him where players can perform and still have fun doing it. A huge part of the success is that you’re not under an intense win-win-win pressure that other coaches think has to be there.’’

Horizon athletic director John Pierce has been along for the ride at the school with Kibler in tow as the baseball coach. Kibler made it known when he was hired he was in for the long haul and has built the program with that in mind.

‘‘I’ve known Eric for a long time,’’ Pierce said. ‘‘The bottom line with him is he does things the right way for kids. If a freshman or sophomore is out and not doing things a certain way, they won’t see the field or the program until they get their act together. He deals with kids as a total package. He wants them learning life lessons and developing character. He strives for that. Baseball ability can be secondary if the other things aren’t being followed.’’

What Pierce outlined above is what is making the Huskies’ current 18-5 season most enjoyable — more than the winning. The 2005 squad Kibler is overseeing is a billboard for what the amiable coach craves from his players. Kids who get along, listen and who possess or acquire qualities that benefit them in their lives apart from baseball.

‘‘If you have good kids who work hard, have character, then winning takes care of itself,’’ Kibler said. ‘‘That’s not a cliche. It’s the truth. This year’s team is as good as it gets in that regard.’’

Kibler is an innovator. He is dedicated to making all the trappings of the sport attractive. He was one of the first coaches to spruce up the playing field his players toil on every spring, going beyond what school and district budgets could provide to upgrade and make the complex the glossy one it is on a late February afternoon or an April evening. The Huskies play a number of night games from mid-March on, which often allows more parents and fans to view their son/team/classmates.

Part of the stadium complex is the players’ spiffy green clubhouse, where Hall says players often retreat from the dugout after a frustrating at-bat. There they take time to cleanse their minds of hitting failure and return ready to play defense the next half inning.

Kibler doesn’t just wish well for Horizon baseball. Evidence of that is his past decade’s work on showcasing Arizona baseball by inviting out-of-state schools to compete with some of our best schools in a March tournament. The eighth annual Cleats National Invitational last month was cited as being one of, if not the best prep tournament, in the country by Baseball America.

The bottom line is Kibler wants players to enjoy their baseball experience, but they have to earn that privilege as Hall has witnessed in his career.

‘‘It’s a tough program because there is so much talent,’’ Hall said. ‘‘You have to work hard to get where you are and stay where you are. You don’t get handed anything.’’