Tim Williard

"We've been playing outstanding baseball," Upper Dauphin coach Tim Williard said.
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We were supposed to have six games in six days, but now we have six games in five days," Williard said.
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"If we had played this game at our field, Middleburg would have beaten us by 10 runs," Williard said.

Tim Williard, the head coach at Upper Dauphin High School the past seven seasons, submitted his resignation in June, and the school district accepted it in July.

"It was a tough decision.It was hard for me to step down, but with the time factor in my job, my hours aren't as flexible anymore," said Williard, an electrician with Reiff and Nestor Co., a machine tool manufacturer in Lykens."I didn't want to commit to the program if I wasn't sure I could be here.Maybe it wouldn't conflict and maybe it would, but I didn't want to be put in that situation where I was the head coach and couldn't be here."

Williard, a native and lifelong resident of the area, leaves a winning legacy to his successor.In his seven seasons, the Trojans won four Tri-Valley League titles (including one co-championship), two District 3 championships, and made five trips to states, including Eastern final appearances in 1997 and 2001.During his tenure, Williard compiled a record of 134-39-1, a stellar winning percentage of .770.During the four years from 1998-2001, Upper Dauphin went a phenomenal 90-10.

An assistant coach at the school from 1984 to 1996, Williard took over the head position prior to the '97 season when coach Ron "Pete" Sitlinger passed away.
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"In '97 I was pretty fortunate in that I inherited a couple of guys to build the program around," Williard said.
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That was a big boost that carried over to the next year and the next," Williard said."We began to get more and more athletes coming out for baseball, and that doesn't happen a lot at a small school."

Williard's teams, always competitive, were known for being fundamentally sound.

"I guess I was fortunate to have kids who were willing to work hard, kids who were dedicated and willing to play in the spring, summer and fall," Williard said."Plus I think winning becomes contagious.We were successful in the early years, and that sort of filtered down.Everybody wanted to become a part of it."

Williard also credits his assistant coaches, some unpaid, for the program's success.
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Williard admits his love of teaching the sport wasn't without a cost.