As the class of 1978 walked across the stage at Damascus High School to gather their diplomas, there was one figure who didn’t realize that this school would be his future home. As Mike Warfield took his strides across the stage and soaked in the moment, his future was taking shape in the colors of green and gold. Warfield was an athlete and a scholar in the Damascus community. While attending Damascus, he was an integral part of the basketball and baseball teams. But many people don’t know that Warfield and one of his good friends are the reason Damascus has a golf team today. In 1975, he and a friend decided to go to the athletic director and propose an idea to start the official Varsity Golf team. After finding a coach, the Damascus golf team took to the green, all because of Warfield.
Before Warfield fully accepted the green and gold into his veins, he took a quick pit-stop at Salisbury University to get his degree in Business. He graduated in 1982 and then returned to his hometown where he replanted his roots. All he wanted was to settle down and live a quiet life with his family, and that’s exactly what he got. His daughter, Anna Warfield, was the only one of his children to attend Damascus.
While his daughter was attending Damascus High School, Warfield became an “honorary” basketball assistant coach. His daughter was an integral device of the team during her high school years, making varsity her junior and senior years. His help with the team led to a regional championship win, with a perfect record during her junior year. Damascus made it to the state semi-final game that year, only falling short to Aberdeen High School. His coaching kept the girls positive and driven to always want more. The next year, 2014, Warfield coached the team to success once again. While the team was officially coached by Steve Pisarski, Warfield played an integral role to their success. He stayed at every practice, game and scrimmage to give feedback to the whole team. The 2014 season ended up being one of their best seasons, again winning their region with a perfect record, and winning the title of 3A West champions. These girls fought hard for the rest of the state championship tournament, sadly falling short at the very end. They made it to the state championship game, but lost to Millford Mill Academy.
While some may argue that the team was successful before Warfield started coaching, the stats and previous record prove otherwise. Before he started assisting with the team, they hadn’t had an undefeated season within their region since 2008. Their state rankings also drastically changed. In previous seasons before Warfield started coaching, they were ranked around 30th best team in the state and around 1600th in the nation. By Anna Warfield’s senior season, their ranking was 10th in the state and 421st in the whole country.
When basketball wasn’t in season, Anna Warfield also participated in softball. Coaching softball is what Warfield fell in love with. While he enjoyed watching his daughter for years from the sideline, he decided to officially become an assistant coach in 2016. Throughout the years, Coach Warfield has made a significant impact on the entire program. Unfortunately, due to personal mental health reasons, Warfield took a step back from coaching in 2023. “I didn’t have a choice,” Warfield stated. “All I wanted to do was coach but I knew my body and its limits.”
The impact and importance of Coach Warfield in the Damascus softball program is appreciated by all members of the community. Head coach of the varsity softball team, Liz Gall, had a few things to say about the roles Warfield plays. “While this is our first full season together, I met him when I first started coaching in 2020,” Gall remarked. A word she used to describe him was “invaluable,” noting how many years of experience he had working with high school athletes. “He puts his heart and soul into everything he does, from taking care of the field to connecting with each member of the team to scouting out possible competition – there really isn’t anything he won’t do,” Gall mentioned. One thing many observers don’t know about Warfield is the countless hours he spends scouting out opponents. He watches hours of their game footage to find patterns in their routine, and even drives hours to watch them compete in person when he could be spending the day relaxing at home. Gall explained that “it doesn’t even matter the distance, if it’s a team he thinks we might see in playoffs, he will find a way to see them play.”
Coach Warfield’s dedication to this program truly needs to be taught to all coaches in the world. His ability to connect with all his athletes as if they were his own daughter is truly extraordinary. The kindness and compassion he shares with every person he interacts with is something that all people should find fascinating. He stops at nothing to uplift his girls and celebrate the small wins, while still remaining firm with his coaching. Damascus softball definitely owes a huge “thank you” to Coach Warfield for all of the work he has put into his program. Maybe they can thank him by winning it all this year…
