Amelia coach has no-regrets approach to life, baseball

• Send donations to: Merwin Elementary, 1040 Gaskins Road, Cincinnati, OH 45245. Or, call 947-7802.

AMELIA – His advice to the baseball players he coached is to approach their game with no regrets and to be willing to put in the work.

Baseball mirrors life for Jeff Hurt, who worked hard coaching at his alma mater, Amelia High School. He has also battled relentlessly against a difficult opponent in cancer.

He knows more than most that sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way.

Now just 38 years old, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor nearly 10 years ago and has since fought through multiple surgeries, radiation treatments and four different rounds of chemotherapy.

At one point last November, he was told he may have a month to live. Given the side effects of his most recent round of drugs, Hurt recently made the courageous decision to forgo further treatment.

"He said he took it for three days and was so sick," Amelia football coach Randy Hospelhorn said. "He opted out and said he didn't want take it anymore because he wanted to spend the rest of his time with his wife and kid."

A product of West Clermont schools

Hospelhorn first met Hurt when he coached him in Knothole baseball. He would chuckle when youngsters would test Hurt's arm from the outfield only to be gunned down by the lefty with a laser.

His baseball career went from the Amelia Barons and to Hanover College, where a rotator cuff injury ended his playing days.

In 2005, former high school classmate James Collins, now Amelia's athletic director, hired him as junior varsity baseball coach. He eventually took over the varsity spot and held the job even while dealing with cancer treatments last spring.

"Our kids loved him from the day he got the job," Collins said. "He was always around. He came to all the other sporting events. He was up here as much as any full-time staff member. His biggest strength was his relationship with his boys. I think he was a great baseball coach and a world-class human being."

At home, but missing the dugout

When not in a wheelchair, Hurt is now propped up in bed in front of a big screen TV watching Billy Graham and dreaming of Moonlight Graham.

Some movement has left him, but baseball never has. He speaks of watching the Reds take too many pitches in an extra-inning game the previous night. His philosophy in the game and in life comes peppered with baseball analogies as he struggles with the ultimate curve ball.

"No regrets," Hurt said immediately. "If you work hard, good things will happen. You might not be the best player, but if you hustle, you'll be good enough. But, you've got to put the time and effort in. No regrets. You can't go to the end of season saying I wish I could've hit the curve."

Family comes first

The first major twist in the life of Jeff Hurt and the former Tonya Moss came after they were married almost 10 years ago. Hurt was a 1994 Amelia grad and Moss, 1997. They met in 1999 at her cousin's wedding and tied the knot themselves Sept. 4, 2004, at Royal Oak Country Club.

"It was a perfect day," Hurt said. "I felt like we were shining that day. You're so high and then all of a sudden, two months later, I had cancer. I had a cue ball-size tumor in my head. I was transported to Christ Hospital for surgery."

In the early going, he had some treatment success and had no major recurrences until 2012. In between, Jeff and Tonya's son was born. Logan Hurt is 6 and in kindergarten at Locust Corner Elementary.

"I got sick and someone else coached him last year in t-ball," Hurt said. "It's just tough. All of these kids I've invested all this time in."

The 2014 Barons visited their old coach one afternoon and brought a smile to his face. Hurt also coached for the Midland organization as he worked on the property for American Modern Insurance. More recently, he was working with Michael Daly at the Flash complex in Hamersville until brain seizures forced him to stop.

Tonya Hurt has accompanied Jeff back and forth to Philadelphia for radiation five times since December. Both Hurts seem at peace with their decision to stop medical treatment and rely on spiritual strength.

"It's to the point where it's very aggressive," Tonya Hurt said. "We are praying for a miracle. We are asking God to heal him. We're very strong in our faith. We're Christians and we go to Crosspointe Baptist Church. There's no more options; there's no more treatment. Hospice came in to keep him comfortable."

Friends and supporters pay it forward

With Hurt going on long-term disability, friends in the West Clermont School District have come together to help one of their own. Merwin Elementary Principal Jackie Hospelhorn started a collection and Locust Corner Elementary has followed suit.

"His only worry is to take care of his family," Jackie Hospelhorn said. "We wanted to get together enough money to pay three months of his insurance. On the first day, I collected $500."

Hurt himself has been involved with www.cancersupportcincinnati.org raising funds and has thrown out the first pitch at Great American Ballpark for the Stand Up To Cancer foundation.

Last month, Wyoming coach Chris Fiehrer dispersed the proceeds of their $5 admission at a Coaches Vs. Cancer game at Crosley Field, Blue Ash, to Hurt's family.

Another charitable event, Burgs Faceplant 500, Trike it for Cancer, will be 11 a.m., Saturday, May 17, at Williamsburg High School, 500 S. Fifth St., to help defray expenses. Cost is $20 per rider in advance, $25 at the door. T-shirts will be available for $15. Visit the Burgs Faceplant 500 Facebook page or burgsfaceplant500.webs.com for details.

Hurt has no more options, many friends and no regrets.

How can you help?

To donate money to the Hurt family you may contribute to the collection Merwin Elementary principal Jackie Hospelhorn started to "pay forward" for what Hurt has done in the community.

Send donations to: Merwin Elementary, 1040 Gaskins Road, Cincinnati, OH 45245. Or, call 947-7802.

Words to live by

"Represent the program. It's not my program; it's their program. People see kids with an Amelia hat doing something stupid or ignorant, they say 'The Amelia kids are like this...' When you have that Amelia shirt on, represent your high school and your community."- Jeff Hurt

"He's a very giving guy. I was so pleased to have him as a coach. He was a great role model and influence for these kids. We miss him tremendously." - James Collins, Amelia athletic director and former classmate of Hurt

"You always think about the kids when they leave you. For this to happen, it's going on 10 years now, is a bad deal. His wife's handling it pretty well. I told her the other day how strong she was." - Randy Hospelhorn, Amelia football coach and former Knothole baseball coach for Hurt.