Julie Ryan looks through a different lens than most fans watching Prescott High School baseball games. It's not because she's had a bird's eye view as the Cardinal team photographer the last four years. It's also not because she grew up a couple blocks away from Fire Hall Field in Prescott.

"I could hear every batting practice from where I lived growing up. It was just up that hill," said Julie pointing straight east while standing near Fire Hall Field’s first base dugout after a recent Prescott win.

Julie grew up playing softball and graduated from Prescott in 1997. She had a young teacher named Mr. Jeff Ryan while attending Prescott High School. He was coaching JV baseball and girls' basketball right out of college. His classroom walls were covered with presidential campaign posters from the past and he encouraged his students to speak their mind as it related to politics and world events. Jeff Ryan takes his teaching profession seriously. From U.S. History to civics to First Nations History for college credit, the classroom is truly the diamond of his professional eye. The baseball diamond comes a close second, though.  

Jeff Ryan was named the head baseball coach in 1999 and, in his first season at the helm, he helped guide Prescott to a state finals runner-up title. A year later when Julie graduated from college, she ran into her former teacher. She remembered the political and sports discussions. The conversation between the two was as easy as a fastball right down the middle.

The lens Julie Ryan looks through at Fire Hall Field is through the eyes of a coach's wife. Jeff Ryan is now in his 27th year as Prescott Head Baseball Coach. He and Julie have been together for 25 of those years.

"Baseball isn't just in baseball season," said Julie. "It's year 'round. Jeff is constantly doing stuff for the kids. Everybody wants his time and he always gives it."

"The greatest gift we can give anybody is our time," said Jeff. "If you make the decision to teach and coach, your day goes from 7:30 (a.m.) to 9:30 or 10 (p.m.) a lot of days."

High school coaches like Jeff Ryan are becoming dinosaurs. He's been coaching and teaching a total of 36 years. Many coaches in the area will tell you they begin coaching because they love the sport. They continue, or discontinue, coaching because of the people. More and more often, pressures from parents and the number of hours required are two fists throwing body blows. The fun fact that the hourly compensation of a high school coaching stipend hovers around 15 cents may make any coach’s spouse question the commitment.  

"It's not the 1950's anymore," said Jeff. "The responsibilities of parenthood and married life suffer when you're coaching. I understand why a lot of coaches don't stay in it that long because it's taxing."

"Jeff is a good winner and a good loser," said Julie, "I'm the one that takes it hard."

"You can't do this (coaching profession) unless you have the support of your family," said Jeff. "It's important to have a confidant and Julie is that for me. I do feel bad because I am sacrificing family time and it's not easy to do."

"I can share Jeff because he's teaching these guys what life is about," said Julie. "It's about being kind and being a good human whether you're on the field, in the community, or in the classroom."

Jeff has two children from a previous marriage and he and Julie have one son, Ken, together. Ken is a senior at Prescott this year, but at the beginning of fifth grade, everyone knew him as "Kenna."

"He told us we needed to call him Ken and from there, we supported him," said Julie.

Shortly thereafter, as biological puberty was trying to set in, Ken developed an eating disorder for close to two years.

"Ken went from 120 pounds to 70 pounds in four months," said Julie, "I wouldn't wish an eating disorder on anyone. It was awful. As a parent, you just feel so helpless."

When Ken was in middle school and started wearing different clothes and cut his hair, he served as the Cardinal bat boy.

"There was one player on the team named Cody Rohl that talked and texted Ken and was so kind to him," said an emotional Julie. "He still texts him and calls him to this day."

As Julie continued, the tears took a detour around the corners of an emerging smile. "Cody is this thin version of Jeff and what he does for people," said Julie as she let a giggle escape. "Thank God people like Cody and Jeff are teachers because the world needs them."

Acts of kindness, especially at the right time, can be a life-saving gesture.   

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 82% of U.S. transgender teens have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide.

Ken has had top surgery and has been on hormones for two years.

"That has also been life-saving for him," said Julie.

Ken and Jeff live and breathe politics. Jeff and Julie are living and breathing baseball right now as the Cardinals are off to an 8-2 start to the season.

The Jeff Ryan-led Cardinal baseball teams have garnered 12 conference titles and a state championship in 2012, but as fun as it is to win from Julie Ryan's camera lens angle, she's focused on a bigger picture.

"Wins and losses really don't matter," said Julie, "it's what you learn in between."