The John Crawford Volunteerism Award
Our friend, John Crawford addresses the team in 2012
Our first honoree of our 2024 John Crawford Volunteerism award is Rasik Waikar. In 2024, Rasik embodied John’s spirit of volunteerism.
John Crawford did so much for this team in a such a short period of time. This Ames, Iowa resident put his life on hold to welcome a group of Renegades to his home town and he went above and beyond for our squad. Among just some of the stuff John did for us without ever meeting us included, picking up our water and paint before we got to Iowa, taking a week off from work to help us 8 hours a day in the hot sun (temps were in the high 90’s that week). He was everything we needed and so much more. Heck, after the series, he helped redesign our marketing material and paid to print and ship it to Boston.
John lost a battle with Cancer in 2021 and we wanted to keep his memory alive by reminding everyone of his big heart and kind spirit. John is an Angel in our outfield and we are forever grateful for meeting this amazing man!
Being blown away and coming out of nowhere – that’s what this award is about. We want to celebrate volunteers who blew us away during the season and came out of nowhere to do things we needed and they may not have done before.
Rasik Waikar
Head shot of Rasik in his rookie year as a 15 year old
Our first recipient of the 2024 John Crawford awards goes to our youngest coach, Rasik Waikar. Rasik is one of the youngest volunteers to ever be part of the team. He became a Renegade in March of 2022 at 14 years old and took the field with us for the first time right after his 15th birthday in April.
He may have joined the team earlier than this as his mother reached out to the team in May of 2021 when the Renegades were still trying to navigate COVID. and Rasik was 12. In a short time, Rasik has worked his way into becoming not just a volunteer, but a valued coach on the squad who has built relationships with so many of the players and coaches who have been impressed by this young man’s maturity and approach.
Being a 15 or 16 year old kid, on a team of adults could be daunting. However, Rasik fit in quickly with the team culture. Not only did he gain every player’s trust in his knowledge of hitting. He was also quick to join in the banter by having fun with the players, making jokes, pushing players to try new things and working them harder to get the most out of their ability.
Guy Zuccarello adds, “I love when I have the opportunity to be coached by Rasik! He is not only a skilled and insightful hitting instructor, he is also simply one of the most mature young people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have the perspective of having kids of my own roughly Rasik’s age, and I am constantly blown away by how easily and comfortably he handles interacting with and supporting a very diverse group. Right from the jump, he had no problem clicking with the group as a whole or working with any of us as individuals. he is such an impressive kid. We are very lucky to have him.”
Off Season work outs
Rasik in the cage showing off his new hat!
In 2024, the Renegades wanted to make some changes. One of the big changes was that the head coach would be spending less time with the offense and more time with the defense than at any point in years. This was made easier by having both Rasik and Hunter Weissman play a bigger role with the hitting.
When Rasik started in 2022 with the team, we used him all over the field where he mostly helped run defensive drills and catch batting practice. In 2023, he worked more and more with the offense as the season went along. We entrusted Rasik’s help with coaching hitting more and more thru the season. As 2024 approached, we made him a full time hitting coach.
This whole plan kicked off in December of 2023 when the renegades started optional winter cage work outs. Rasik was a key part of these work outs. The Renegades practiced weekly from Mid-December till March holding 15 optional work outs. Rasik made 9 of these work outs for the team and was one of the most attended coaches in that time frame. Elana Regan says, “For me, Rasik helped me improve my swing and mental approach to the sport. He is a calming presence behind the plate, and is an anchor in the storm when emotions get high.”
Rob Dias, who often works with Rasik adds, “His approach to consistency really helped me as a hitter, allowing me to focus on the areas I needed to improve and build confidence in my skills. His selfless work supporting a blind baseball team showcases his character and maturity far beyond his years. Rasik is a remarkable young man.” Rasik’s impact on Rob helped him earn all-star awards as the third best hitter on the east coast hitting .632 in the 2024 Beast of the East.
I can’t go unless I have a ride
A few times during these winter work outs, we needed help getting people to Woburn for cage practices. Rasik picked up players while he was on his learners permit. That goes a long way to break down barriers for those who are limited with their their finances or inability to travel. On multiple occasions, Rasik was willing to help in this space (with the help of his parents of course).
Sandy Bulkan, who was new to his vision loss, living in the area and beepball had this to say, “I enjoyed every moment of practicing with the team but there was only one problem for me and that was transportation. Rasik and Hunter were always there whenever I needed a ride picking me up from the Carroll Center to go to practice and taking me back when practice was over. I wouldn’t have been able to make ever lasting memories with the team if it wasn’t for them”.
Is there an end to a beepball season?
Rasik Squatting behind the plate catching for the Northeastern University baseball team
The fall brought more events to the team and Rasik was one of the coaches who stepped up to help. Rasik was one of a handful of coaches helping out at these optional work outs. While there, he not only helped the players, but he helped Hunter as well. Rasik has become one of the better catchers at practice. Ron Cochran has even gone as far to say that Rasik is his favorite catcher to throw to at practice due to his consistency and knowledge of the game. That knowledge would be a great help to Hunter who was pitching for the first time in his Renegade career. Having an experienced catcher always makes the job of a novice pitcher easier. This was a big part of why Hunter had success out of the gate this fall.
The fall also brought an opportunity for the Renegades to work with the Northeastern baseball team. Rasik was one of just three coaches who took part in this event. Elana Regan states, “Off the field, he is one of the first people to volunteer to help out at recruiting or fundraising events and is a true mark of the Renegades sprit”. Once again, he was the youngest player in the facility but that never stops him as his beepball knowledge is superior to all of the participants and his maturity helped him fit right in!
Rob Dias says, “ I’ve been incredibly impressed by his dedication, consistency, and commitment to excellence—qualities that are crucial in both baseball and life… Rasik is a remarkable young man, and I’m confident he will continue to make a positive impact in everything he pursues. Thank you, Rasik, and congratulations on being a John Crawford Award recipient! The Renegades thank you for all that you do.”
Other Award Winners
2024 marks the 3rd year of these awards. To learn more about the contributions of our other amazing volunteers, please check out the links below:
- 2023 Award Winners
- 2022 was the inaugural season for this award.