Whatever was going on in his life, Juan Namnun knew there were a few things he could always rely on.
No matter what was wrong, no matter what problems were floating around, he could always count on his family being there.
He also always had baseball.
Those things were constants in his life. But in reality, Namnun didn’t have many bad days.
He has the dream family life with a wife he met as a freshman at Frankford High School.
He has three sons, all great athletes who are equally as great in the classroom.
And he has a job he truly loves. Namnun teaches at Frankford, where he also coaches the Pioneers baseball team, a team he played for when he was in high school.
In that gig, he loves to win, and he’s had more than a little success, claiming seven Public League championships. But more than winning, he likes teaching his boys. He has a bond with Frankford baseball that every coach dreams of having. And he does that by being there for them whenever they need him.
Namnun didn’t have many complaints in life until he was diagnosed with breast cancer.
That changed everything.
Instantly, the life Namnun loved was turned upside down and he had to find a reason to fight.
His family provided more than enough reason, but whenever he needed a pick-me-up, he went right back to what he loves.
“In the beginning, I was struggling with my own mortality,” Namnun admitted. “My doctor was honest, many men don’t survive. I started thinking out loud with my wife, how can we get awareness and more men to hear about it? Let’s get baseball involved. I became an ambassador for the American Cancer Society.
“Baseball was one of the biggest influences in my getting better. I found out mentally you can’t attack cancer with medicine and think, ‘I’m getting better.’ You need things to help you. Family, your job, something you’re passionate about. Let’s focus on something that will help you get better, and baseball, along with my family.”
Now, after beating cancer, Namnun is looking to use what he went through to help others. And he’s doing it through baseball.
“My idea was to do something like they do in basketball, and put together a little one-day baseball event to raise money and awareness for cancer,” Namnun said. “So we wanted to do a Coaches vs. Cancer thing. My idea was to get eight teams for year one to play in a twin doubleheader in front of parents and raise money. The Phillies supplied the field, they’re part of the sponsors. It all came together quickly.”
The games were played March 25 at FDR Park in South Philadelphia.
Frankford defeated Lincoln and MaST Charter II defeated String Theory in the first half of the doubleheaders. Franklin Towne Charter defeated Mariana Bracetti and Carver Engineering and Science downed Tacony Charter in the nightcaps.
Each team had person impacted by cancer throw out the ceremonial first pitch. And every team honored someone who has beaten the disease.
It was a day of helping patients, a day to raise money for a cause that Namnun truly believes in and more than anything, a day to celebrate the great athletes of the Public League while playing a game they love, and doing it for a great cause.
It’s not only great for the players and fans, it’s great for the American Cancer Society,
“As a survivor and role model, Juan is an example of resilience, compassion and leadership,” said American Cancer Society Vice President of Development Paula Green. “Mobilizing his community in support of Coaches vs. Cancer will help instill these values in the athletes who participate, while providing them with an opportunity to contribute positively to society by leveraging their passion for baseball to support a worthy cause. Through their participation, they are helping to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families and inspire hope to continue in the fight against cancer.”
Any event is greatly appreciated, but this one means more.
It means a lot because Namnun is doing it to help, just as people helped him when he was dealing with the disease.
“By using his platform to raise awareness about cancer prevention, Juan is not only helping to make a difference, but giving these teams and athletes the opportunity to enjoy the sport they love while making a meaningful impact in the fight against cancer,” Green said. “When Juan began his road to recovery, he had reached out to us (the American Cancer Society) letting us know of his goal on how he could make an impact within the Frankford baseball community by not only fundraising but creating cancer awareness in our mutual commitment to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. This event is a testament to Juan’s determination, dedication and persistence to achieve that goal.”
To donate, visit https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=2729640&fr_id=108323&pg=team.
