In honor of the late softball team coach for North Harford, Mr. Guy Santoro, Bel Air, North Harford, and umpires alike all joined forces to host a memorial game for him.
Santoro passed from pancreatic cancer suddenly in 2023 and it has had a major impact on many North Harford, Bel Air, and community member families.
The girls and community wanted the memorial to be a positive environment and focused on who Coach Guy was throughout his life. Santoro had such an impact on the community that it was not even the school’s idea to have this game, but the umpires, according to senior Mackenzie Dunaway.
Dunaway said that the goal for this memorial game was to “do something nice for his wife and kids, along with the girls he coached here and for Forest Hill Heat, his travel team.” It was also to “spread awareness for pancreatic cancer and the signs. It is one of the most deadly forms of cancer, and [it is] known as a silent killer.”
Bel Air and North Harford hold the most girls who play(ed) for the Heat team, which is why the memorial game was Apr. 23, when NH played Bel Air at home, though anyone was welcome to attend.
Dunaway believed that the memorial game was beneficial for the community, both to bring the community together and to spread awareness for pancreatic cancer. She hoped that her contribution by making informational pamphlets on the subject could help prevent losses of community members to this disease in the future.
The senior commented that Coach Guy was, “all around great. He always had a positive attitude, and a smile on his face. Anytime I would strike out, he would remind me to keep my head up.”
Junior Brianna Billings also played for Coach Guy in her freshman year for NH. In Billings’ opinion, the goal for the game was to “see this huge community that he gathered when he was alive and to celebrate him since he loved when everyone would come together.”
The player thinks that some of Santoro’s good qualities, both as a coach and a person, were that “he was always in a good mood,” and “Whenever something made him mad, he would find a way to laugh about it.”
A community member and a pupil of Coach Guy’s on the Heat team, Sammie Rose, also commented. “Coach Guy was a one-of-a-kind coach. He was an amazing and kind soul who left a positive and loving impression on every player he coached.”
Lastly, Mr. Santoro’s daughter, Carmen Santoro, commented. She is an alumna of NH and played for her father on both of his teams. “My dad was someone who treated all of his players like his own children. He always supported their accomplishments and got to know each of them personally, as a friend, rather than just a coach.”
Carmen says that she learned from him to “not take life too seriously, and to do the things that make me happy. As a father, he was always encouraging me to be my best self, treat everyone with kindness, give all my effort, and do it with a smile on my face.”
She said that the memorial game means a lot to her because, “I love seeing how many people he impacted and how many people love him as much as I do. He always was an inspiration to me, and this game shows how many people around him he also inspired.”
