VALENTINE, Neb. - For generations in Valentine, summer has sounded a lot like America’s favorite pastime — with the crack of the bat, cheers from the stands and kids chasing foul balls across the field.

But behind every game is someone putting in countless unpaid hours — coaching, prepping the field and managing the chaos.

“When I first started coaching, it was wooden bats,” said Kent Lopez.

For nearly 50 years, Lopez has stepped up to the plate for Valentine’s baseball players.

“I just thought everyone needed the opportunity to play American Legion baseball,” Lopez said.

Most of those five decades have been spent coaching Legion ball. During that time, Lopez has influenced hundreds of players — now coaching two generations in some families.

“Coach Lopez — it’s weird to call him that because he’s always been, ‘Loper,’” said Blake Beebout, who played under Lopez in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He later went on to pitch at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

“He’s always done a nice job of letting the game be fun. I say it to everybody — baseball is a sport where the harder you try, usually the worse you do. If I try really hard to hit the ball, I usually swing and miss. If I try really hard to throw a strike, I throw it to the backstop. If I’m trying to throw hard to first to get someone out, I break a windshield in the parking lot. But if you’re playing the game just to have fun, and you’re loose and relaxed, usually good things happen,” Beebout said.

Now Blake’s twin sons — Trystan and Dominic — are learning the same lessons from Lopez.

“He even coached against some of our grandparents too. He has a lot of experience in the game,” said Dominic.

The Beebouts say Lopez’s impact goes beyond baseball. They’ve even spent time hunting waterfowl together.

“When you put the hat on as coach, you put on about ten different hats,” said Blake.

Those hats come in handy when life throws its curveballs.

“In baseball if you fail seven out of ten times, you bat 300, you’re considered a good hitter. It really teaches you how to respond to adversity. You’re going to fail. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to pout, or are you going to get it next time,” Blake said.

This season, the goal is clear.

“Make it to state,” said Trystan.

“We’ve gone second at districts three times in a row between Juniors and Seniors, so State is definitely the goal this year,” Dominic said.

As for Coach Lopez, even after 50 seasons, he’s not calling it quits yet.

“Hopefully I’m not going to be in on their grandsons, but you never know,” Lopez joked.

He’s coached generations, shaped lives, and built a legacy — all through America’s favorite pastime.