Sports can help build and strengthen family ties until they become absolutely unbreakable. And sports can often form a special bond between fathers and their children and grandchildren that will last them a lifetime.
Such is the case with Roy High's softball program.
The Royals have captured two softball state championships in the school's history. And both times, there was a blond girl named Flint whose stellar pitching performance propelled Roy to the pinnacle of the Utah prep sports scene.
In 1998, Mandy Flint pitched every inning of every game for the Royals, capping her high school softball career by winning three games on the final day of the state tournament to give the Royals a gritty 4A championship. Eleven years later, her niece, sophomore MaCauley Flint, threw five consecutive shutouts as Roy rolled to its second 4A softball title this year with Mandy Flint Koford and Travis Flint — who is Mandy's brother and MaCauley's father — serving as the team's main coaches.
These two tough-minded pitchers shared much more than just the same last name. They both learned how to pitch from Stan Flint — Mandy's father, MaCauley's grandfather — who for many years ranked among the finest fast-pitch hurlers in the Intermountain area and passed his passion for the game onto his daughter and granddaughter.
Obviously, he taught them well.
And today, on Father's Day, it seems fitting to honor the man who, though he might be considered the gruff "Godfather" of Roy High's softball program, has willingly stayed behind the scenes and allowed others to shine in the spotlight of success.
"I think the best gift my Dad ever gave was his time," Mandy said. "The hours that he spent with me in the back yard, the days he spent at the ballpark, the hours he spent driving to come watch our team play, those were the best treasures that he gave me. . .
"We spent hours and hours practicing in that back yard. There were always valuable lessons that he wanted us to learn, and he knew that all of our hard work and perseverance would pay off.
"What was great about my dad was, during practice, there was often some yelling," Mandy recalled with a laugh. "But come game time, he was never anything but positive and supportive. When I got to college, he always looked at me with so much love and was always so proud of me. It made it all worthwhile."
Mandy, who recorded more than 300 strikeouts during her senior season at Roy, went on to become a standout pitcher for two years at Ricks Junior College, then spent one year playing for Southern Utah University before finishing up her outstanding collegiate career at BYU.
Thanks to Stan's influence softball has become the name of the game in the Flint households.
"We talk about softball in our family, and that's exactly what it means — family," Mandy said. "I do it for my dad, my brother and for MaCauley."
Along the way, Stan has helped many other young pitchers learn the intricacies of the fast-pitch game, which he learned from Glen Cherry almost 40 years ago — when it was much more popular than slow-pitch softball, which has since become the rage nowadays.
Stan didn't even began playing softball until he was in his early twenties after graduating in 1969 from Bonneville High.
"My Dad couldn't throw as hard and might not be as big and strong as some other pitchers," Mandy said, "but he had this incredible change-up that would make batters look stupid and embarrass them."
Stan was pleasantly surprised when Roy High got on a roll and swept this year's 4A state title in the program's final year as a 4A school before moving up to the 5A ranks next season. And he's grateful his family has been able to play a vital role in both of the Royals' state championships.
"It's overwhelming. I mean, it truly is," he said. "You know, I feel like a very rich man without a lot of money. You can't buy this kind of happiness, this kind of reward. It's hard to put into words. It's so gratifying to be a part of it and see these kids have that kind of success."
And I'm sure all those girls he's helped coach feel the same way about the "Godfather," Stan Flint.
E-MAIL: rhollis@desnews.com