By Randy Whalen

Miguel Silva turns 29 on August 21.

He's been coaching baseball for nearly half of his young life.

But now Silva is taking a big step in his coaching career. He's taking over as the new head coach of Joliet Central baseball.

"When I was in high school at Bolingbrook I was coaching middle school kids in baseball," said Silva, who graduated from high school in 2013. "I'm a young guy getting a shot fairly early. But I'm very excited for the opportunity."

Silva is excited but he knows the challenge ahead. The last time a Steelmen varsity baseball team had a winning record as Joliet Central was the 1992 season, going 20-16. The next year, the Joliet public schools combined athletic programs until splitting again in 2010-11 Since then, the most wins the Steelmen have had is 13 in 2018 and this past spring they were 8-24-1.

"One of the things people say about Joliet Central baseball is that the team plays hard and competes the right way," Silva said. "That's fine but this is a great opportunity. I'm thrilled and excited to make a difference. My job is to take it to the next step of where it needs to be.

"To be able to oversee that shift. Get the kids to be selfless, and relentless, in pursuit of excellence. I want us to show that we will commit as a team, and proudly wear the Steelmen logo. To say, 'Why not us?'"

Kevin Fitzgerald, who was the head baseball coach at Joliet Central between 2015-2024 and is now the athletic director, helped hire Silva to be his replacement.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Silva to the Steelmen family," Fitzgerald said. "His energy, passion for the game, and strong coaching background make him the perfect fit to lead Steelmen baseball. We are confident that he will inspire and guide our athletes to reach their full potential, both on and off the field."

Silva will teach social studies at the school. He's also looking forward to building the athletes, both in the classroom and on the field.

"When we talk about sports, it teaches all the life lessons," he said. "We want to learn the game, learn how to be better people, better humans. I know it's given me life lessons. So you enable it, you grow it and you keep making it for them and about them.

"It's the process that matters, I'm going to have them compete at everything. One of the things that we are going to attack is the weight room. I want that competition in there upcoming for three weeks."

Something Silva loves as a coach is when a player gets it and does well after a struggle.

"Baseball is an extension of what you do in the classroom," Silva said. "There's nothing better than to see that smile, that growth. To show that we care about them as people."

After graduating from high school, Silva stayed local. He studied Secondary Education and History, receiving a Bachelor's Degree, at Lewis University. Then he achieved a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Concordia University Chicago and followed that up with a Master's in Teaching American Government and United States History at Ashland University.

At Lewis, Silva played club baseball. But it was very competitive as the Flyers played against many Division 1 club teams.

"I was a soft-tossing right-hander who topped out at 81," Silva said of his pitching. "But I loved that I got to compete on the mound and in between starts, I learned a lot of things from my coaches. I also got to coach, even when I was in college."

After graduating from Lewis, Silva was an assistant baseball coach at Naperville Central between 2017-22. He then became an assistant at his alma mater, Bolingbrook, in 2023, and last season he was an assistant, mainly an infield coach, at Argo.

"I can't wait to beat Bolingbrook," Silva said of the Raiders, who move to the Southwest Prairie Conference this season and will face Joliet Central in a league matchup. "But coaching is something I started in high school and knew I wanted to do since my playing days were winding down. I love it. I became a student of the game and it allows me to stay involved."

Silva is ready for this next step and to take the Steelmen on the ride with pride.

"I want us to be proud to have the JC on our caps for Joliet Central," he said. "I want us to take on that personality that we are a blue-collar team and bust our butt to play like that.

"I'm excited. This is what I've worked for and it's great to make a difference."