Coach Dakota Weatherley should be in the middle of Paragould’s baseball season, instead he’s in the middle of a fight against stage four metastatic melanoma.
"We weren’t necessarily preparing ourselves for the diagnosis that we got, and I don’t know that really that you can."
Coaches that compete against Dakota on the diamond, know how hard he competes. Harding Academy head coach Shane Fullerton has seen that competitive fire from Dakota many times, but this weekend they were all on the same team.
"I love to use the word competition; his message is one of faith and being a winner."
Coaches from all over the state made their way to Dakota’s on Saturday for a moment of togetherness, while social distancing. "We really didn’t know how big it was going to get, but everybody wanted to be there."
Even those who couldn’t make it, like 4-time All-Star and Saint Louis Cardinals legend Jim Edmonds who sent Dakota a personal video message encouraging the 28-year-old to fight. "Him sending that video, I was like a kid at Christmas. Felt like I was 10 and coming up and seeing my bicycle or something."
Edmond’s video had Dakota feeling like a kid again, but it’s his soon to be new role that has Dakota fighting even harder.
"So I have a baby due, June 5th is when my baby is due. So they brought gifts for our daughter Avery Kate. I can’t thank them enough and I really don’t have words to thank those people around the state."