POY nominee: Jared Evick

Making a difference

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Bri Brasher
NLJ Reporter
 
As a father of five, Jared Evick has his hands full. And also managing a full-time job and a side business means he has little spare time. Top that off with volunteering whenever he can, and his sleep schedule is limited. Despite it all, the 2018 Person of the Year nominee said, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
This past year, the Newcastle man dedicated much of his time to jumpstarting the local Little League program with a special interest in T-ball. He said the program needed more direction, so he took the reins, assigning teams and coaches and making game schedules. Essentially, Evick was the backbone of the T-ball program in 2018. He said he put most of his focus on the game that introduces baseball to young children because if you can teach the kids at a young age and make it fun, he said, they will continue to play the game for years to come. Evick’s wife, Kyra, said he also helped organize and bring back baseball’s opening day parade this year. 
“He’s a lot of help. I know my family lives down there during the summer, and he’s been right there with us, probably even more at times,” said Brian Mefford, president of the Newcastle Little League board. “He does a lot more than what his title implies. He’s been a godsend at times helping.”
As the safety officer and player agent on the board, Evick works to ensure the safety of all participants and fans, and he makes sure the baseball environment is free of hazards, down to broken fences and potholes. He also set up automated external defibrillator training and coordinated a CPR class for all coaches, parents, and umpires. Evick said that the class is something he does every year because it complies with Little League regulations and helps the community too. Mefford said he and Evick also spend a good chunk of time on field maintenance. 
Evick’s role as a player agent is more focused on the kids and any problems that may arise between those involved in baseball. He said there haven’t been any big issues, but he is always there to make sure everything is going well for all. Evick emphasized that his dedication to the sport always goes back to wanting to teach kids the game while also instilling quality and character in the players as they become young adults in society. 
“The reason I do it is for the kids in the community. That’s where my sole focus is—I mean these kids are our future,” Evick said. “It’s my way to help them out and mold them into the citizens we need. It’s a lot more than sports for me.”
As icing on the cake, Evick said that the positive feedback he receives from parents make his work in baseball worthwhile. The kids make his time at the fields fun and rewarding too. His wife, Kyra, said that kids in the community are always saying hi to Coach Evick, and he loves stopping to chat with current and former players. 
Evick said volunteering and being actively involved in the sports his kids enjoy is a way for the family to spend time together outside of work. He coached his 5-year-old daughter, Iyana, in her first year of T-ball this past year, and he coached a majors team at the district tournament for his 12-year-old son, AJ. He also coached AJ’s middle school football team through an undefeated season. 
Outside of baseball, Evick is coaching his 10-year-old daughter, Gracie, and her indoor soccer team, and during the outdoor soccer season, Evick takes care of the fields. Karmann, the 8-year-old of the Evick bunch, loves gymnastics. The family travels to Custer, South Dakota, for her to enjoy her sport during the gymnastics season. Emma, the 19-year-old who’s off in college, predominately played volleyball, and Kyra coached her through school.
“There really is no balance. I am so top heavy when it comes to my volunteer time and what I do for things. There’s really no break in between. We move on from one sport to the next. It gets stressful at times. … But as a family, we’re all involved in it. It’s not just me. I couldn’t do it without them, especially my wife. She’s my biggest support and always reminds me why I’m doing this,” Evick said. 
Spending time with his kids is of the upmost importance to Evick, but he also has to balance his full-time job at the refinery as a shift breaker. In this role, he fills in wherever he is needed, a theme that seems to radiate in Evick’s life—always ready and willing to help where he is needed. Other work comes with his side business cleaning chimneys. 
Evick started Soot Services in 2012 to meet a need in the community. After serving on the Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department for about 10 years and responding to many chimney fires, Evick noticed that many people were not cleaning their chimneys/stoves or did not realize they needed to be cleaned. So, Evick took on that role as well. He said he tries to keep his business local to help the community stay safe. Since he started his business, the fire department has not responded to a single chimney fire. 
While it seems that Evick could not possibly have any more time, his list continues. In the fall, Evick helps one of his good friends, Robert Miller, put on the Frightmare on Main haunted house for Halloween. He said the two families spend a solid month putting the house together and gathering donations and sponsorships, all for two days of fun. They associate a food drive with the event, and Evick said 100 percent of the money from the entry fees goes back to the community, and this year’s money went to Toys for Tots. Again, Evick said the haunted house serves a good cause, and it’s something the family can do together. 
“It’d always been nicer to have more hours of sleep, but it’s part of what I do, and I do it because I love to do it,” Evick said. 
To end his interview with the News Letter Journal, Evick shared a major trial in his life that he and his family have had to overcome. In 2017, he was diagnosed with mouth cancer for which he had surgery. He is doing well now and is one year cancer free. Evick said the health scare made him realize that everyone’s time is limited, and he is going to make the most of it by supporting his family and the community in any way he can.  
“His work ethic is amazing. Whatever he has his hands in, he’s doing 120 percent. There’s no stopping. It’s full force, full heart, full time with everything,” Kyra said. “He’s got a big, huge heart. It’s who he is. It’s what he is!”
Evick said that while his kids are young, he and his wife look on their weekends away with their kids for sports as family vacations. He said their time for relaxation will come, but for now, they are enjoying the juggle.