On Friday night, the Pottsville sports community suffered a tragic loss with the passing of Brian Spotts.
By Jeffrey Bowers, Head Coach of Pottsville Area Junior High Softball and Chuck Rinaldo, Head Coach of Varsity Softball
Brian was a fixture at any and every Pottsville Crimson Tide sporting event for decades. You would be hard-pressed to find a bigger supporter of the Crimson Tide than Brian. He was actively involved in the girls' basketball, softball, junior high softball, soccer, and football programs. A dedicated Tide fan, his many contributions were immeasurable and certainly played a role in the success of the district’s athletic programs.
From running the game clocks to keeping the book and managing Gamechanger for the softball program, Brian had it all covered. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. And if Brian told you he was taking care of something, you never had to give it a second thought. To call him reliable and dependable would be an understatement.
More importantly, aside from his contributions to Tide athletics, Brian was a genuinely good person. He had a heart of gold and would help anyone who asked him. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Brian since I was a young boy playing Little League baseball at Rotary in Pottsville. In my entire life, I have never known anyone to speak a bad word about him — and likewise, he never spoke negatively of anyone else.
In addition to his work with the Tide, Brian was also a key part of my PA Synergy Travel Softball organization. He would travel with us, managing Gamechanger and keeping all the paperwork in order. His ability to organize and keep everything running smoothly was unmatched.
There is no doubt that the Pottsville Crimson Tide suffered a terrible loss with Brian's passing. But more importantly, the world lost a wonderful human being, and his absence will never be filled.
Brian was a close friend of mine. We are all mourning his loss — but as well as I knew him, I know he would be disappointed if we didn’t carry on. And in his own words...
ROLL TIDE!