For Ann Kallod, coaching has always been about more than wins, losses, or what happens on the scoreboard. It’s about relationships, character, and helping young athletes become the kind of teammates—and people—who encourage others and celebrate success together.

Ann and her husband, Anthony, have been married for 28 years and have four children. Sports have long been a big part of their family life, and over the years, Ann and Anthony have coached many seasons of youth baseball and basketball.

Ann is grateful for the years she was able to spend as a stay-at-home mom. Today, she is becoming more involved with the family business, Fargo Garage Builders. When she isn’t working or at one of her kids’ activities, she enjoys cooking, exercising, being involved in her church, and participating in Bible studies.

Her experiences as both a mother and a coach have shaped the way she approaches youth sports.

“There are so many opportunities in practice and game situations to develop character,” Ann says.

Winning and succeeding can be exciting, but Ann believes some of the most important lessons come during the more difficult moments. Learning how to lose well matters. So does learning how to genuinely celebrate someone else’s success.

As a coach, Ann has had the opportunity to walk alongside players through both the highs and lows of competition. Those moments provide opportunities to talk about carrying yourself well, responding to adversity, and being a good teammate. Her hope is that the athletes she coaches leave with those qualities, regardless of what the final score says.

That philosophy also shapes how Ann and Anthony build team culture. Rather than placing the spotlight on one player—even when that player does something great—they emphasize that success belongs to the entire team.

Wins are a team effort, and everyone has a role.

Sometimes that message is reinforced through the smallest actions: standing up to greet a teammate returning to the dugout, giving a pitcher a high five after he leaves the mound, meeting the defense as players come off the field, or celebrating a teammate after a great hit or play.

Just as importantly, teammates need one another when things don’t go well.

“Everyone has hard games, and a little encouragement from a teammate can go a long way,” Ann says.

Some of Ann’s greatest coaching influences have come from watching the coaches who worked with her oldest sons through varsity athletics, Legion baseball, and college sports. She saw firsthand the impact a coach can have when that person takes the time to truly know an athlete—not simply as a player, but as a person.

Those coaches invested in her sons’ lives, and Ann saw how meaningful that was to them. It left her with a lesson she has carried into her own coaching: relationships matter.

Perhaps that is why one of Ann’s favorite coaching memories isn’t a championship or a dramatic play.

It’s hearing two simple words: “Hey, Coach!”

When a former player sees her away from the field or court and makes a point to say hello, Ann considers it something special. It is a small reminder that the relationship they built extended beyond the sport itself.

She also treasures the opportunity to coach athletes for several years and watch their growth over time. Seeing a young player improve, mature, and gain confidence is one of the great rewards of coaching.

For Ann, those moments capture what youth sports can be at their best. The games provide opportunities to compete and improve, but they also give coaches a chance to teach young people how to handle disappointment, encourage others, celebrate as a team, and build relationships that last long after the season ends.



And sometimes, the best indication that a coach made an impact comes years later, away from the field, with a smile and a simple, “Hey, Coach!”