In Galesburg, Andy Giles and Shad Steck are more than just baseball coaches. They’re bridge builders—connecting generations of student-athletes to the larger idea that community isn’t just where you live; it’s who you build with.

It started in 2015, when Shad—then a sophomore baseball coach at Galesburg High School—noticed a trend he didn’t like: young athletes leaving town to join travel teams in the Quad Cities and beyond. “They were chasing opportunities,” he recalls, “but it wasn’t helping our high school program. They weren’t building chemistry with the kids they’d eventually play alongside here.”

So he did something about it.

Together with a handful of like-minded parents and supporters, Shad launched what would become the Junior Streaks, a homegrown travel baseball program for Galesburg-area youth. What began with a single 13U team has since expanded to include multiple age levels, with current teams at 12U, 13U, 14U, and two 16U teams. Coach Pickrel, the current Varsity Coach, was not only supportive of the idea, but was deeply instrumental in his advocacy for it, so there is a deeply symbiotic relationship between Galesburg baseball before and into high school.

Andy Giles, who had been coaching youth baseball in Galesburg since 2006 and serving on the board of the Galesburg Youth Baseball League (GYBL), was a natural partner. With his leadership, the Junior Streaks gained structure, access to fields, and the ability to keep evolving.

“By bringing our kids together early—7th and 8th grade—we built familiarity,” says Andy, now the freshman baseball coach at Galesburg High School. “The kids know the coaches, know the facilities, and by the time they reach high school, they’ve already built a foundation of trust.”

But this is more than just a feeder system for varsity sports. It’s a vehicle for values.

“We hold our kids to a high standard,” Shad explains. “They’ve got to keep their grades up. Stay out of trouble. Be accountable—to their teammates, their coaches, and themselves.”

The results speak for themselves. Even players who don’t stick with baseball go on to play football, basketball, wrestling, or other sports. “There’s not one kid I can think of who didn’t go on to play something for the high school,” says Andy. “We’re building athletes. We’re building citizens.”

And they’re doing it affordably.

“We charge $550,” Andy says, “and the kids get three jerseys, two pairs of pants, two hats, turf shoes, molded cleats, a helmet, and more. That’s almost unheard of.”

How? Local sponsorships. Each team has businesses supporting them—banners, sleeve logos, fundraising. “Our community shows up,” Andy adds. “They see the value.”

They also see the growth.

With the high school’s new turf field and construction projects underway, the district is poised to host tournaments—bringing teams, families, and economic energy to Galesburg. “We’re spending $20,000+ traveling to other cities,” Andy says. “Why not bring that here?”

For both men, this is personal. Shad (’94) and Andy (’95) are both Galesburg graduates. Their kids have played in the district. Their families are deeply rooted. “We wanted our kids to be Silver Streaks,” says Shad. “So we built a program to make that path stronger.”

They also built something less tangible: camaraderie. “Those early teams?” Shad says. “They’re still friends, ten years later. They check in. They hang out when they come back home. That’s the legacy.”

And it extends to the coaching staff itself—now made up of parents, former players, and even two young men in their mid-20s with no kids in the program, just a love of the game and a passion for giving back.

“Coaching is about relationships,” Andy says. “It’s about building trust, and helping kids grow.”

That growth doesn’t end with high school. It stretches into adulthood, where the lessons of weight room accountability, pregame discipline, and mid-inning adversity become metaphors for real life.

Baseball, after all, is full of moments that mirror our own: learning from mistakes, showing up on time, having someone’s back. And thanks to the efforts of coaches like Andy and Shad, Galesburg’s players don’t just grow as athletes—they grow as people.