By Sam Jane
Whenever he leans down to tie his shoes, Dave Sontag remembers that not so long ago that looping of the laces was a strenuous task. It reminds him that the activities he loves were recently nowhere near completed with the same ease.
Sontag's neuropathy has sometimes caused his arms to fall asleep, which makes it incredibly difficult for him to sleep. Consequently, the next day after his poor sleep, his wife has to be by his side “along with him every step of the way that day.” Yet, where Sontag is now is a massive testament to his mettle, because three years ago nobody would have believed where he is today.
On May 5th, 2018, the Saline High School baseball team was preparing for an intersquad scrimmage, looking to get in competition in the middle of a long stretch of baseball. Sontag hits fly balls to the outfielders, one of his favorite tasks to do in the pregame. Yet, this time felt different. Sontag started having trouble breathing, and then suddenly “everything went white.” He had collapsed on the field, shocking players and coaches alike. Assistant Coach at the time Al Zeiher reflected that “if he had not told the coaching staff that he was sick, I would have never known.” Yet, it was not just Zeiher who Sontag hid his illness from.
Through talking with numerous people around the baseball program and the Saline community, there becomes a common theme when you ask them about Dave Sontag. Senior pitcher Mason Glennie reflected by saying “ “had energy and never let anyone know he was hurting.” Other seniors said “He brought the passion everyday,” and “he never let anything from his outside life affect his coaching,” are all remarks that people remember about Sontag when he was coaching through his pain.
However, on that day his energy eventually was overtaken by a tumor spreading throughout his body. When assistant Joe Welton drove him off the field to his wife Michelle, Welton’s fear for someone he calls “a second father” began to expand.
“I was scared for Tagman... someone I knew since I was seven years old. He cared for so many others around him and when he was hurting, I knew I had to just be strong for him,” Welton said.
“He was so tired that day and I told him if you don’t go to practice that day they will understand” said Michelle Sontag, “I knew something was seriously wrong when Joe called.”
The journey on that fateful May afternoon was the start of a long road to recovery. On May 15th, Sontag was diagnosed with leukemia cancer. He had to suffer through empty hospital rooms, failed trips to Seattle for recovery, and being away from the people and sport he loved. Terrible blood counts, shaky hands, and a 33 percent given chance of survival. However, “never once did I think about dying, or want to hear a number of possibilities.” The leukemia looked to have overpowered his blood cells, soas Sontag went to Seattle for a possible treatment. On the way back, the doctors gave him medicine to recoup him for his long flight home. Sensationally, the medicine seemed to fight back against the cancer, and after a tremendously long journey, Sontag’s cancer was declared remissed.
While Sontag’s journey was seemingly over, his life had to change. No longer could he do hundreds of sit ups or pushups at once, teach lessons to youth baseball players, or go on long hikes with his wife at first. “Everyday was a struggle,” he remarked.
Yet, he was in a “constant battle” along with his wife to recover. Doctors declared his “recovery was a miracle,” yet nobody who knows Sontag was surprised. Meanwhile, during Sontag’s recovery a whole community had thrown their backs behind the coach. On that fateful Seattle trip, Michelle detailed “we bawled in each other's arm because we thought we had let so many people down.” Led by Welton, the team raised 12,000 dollars through selling tee shirts and dedicated a whole day to him, coined “Team Tags day.”
His nickname, Tagman, is part of his appeal, and any team or community would support a coach with cancer. Yet, Sontag had dedicated himself to the players and coaches “always making sure he approached every guy on the team and asked how their lives outside of baseball were.”
Sontag’s impact is felt everyday in the community, as leaders who embody the mentality that Sontag is given an orange jersey. The jersey embodies the recovery from Leukemia, as orange is the symbol for survival. Furthermore, it represents the type of culture and leadership the baseball program strives for. Senior Kyler Blake Jones stated “Sontag embodies what it means to wear Saline across our chests and will continue to do so as long as our program is a thing.” Jones' comments are reflected across the rest of baseball leaders, such as Glennie and Mark Harden.
People often say that your true character is defined by what people say about you when you're not around. Through speaking to people about Dave Sontag, his character is one of ture reserverance. Sontag’s impact is not defined by his cancer, yet it is the lasting legacy that he will leave on the people and communities that once rallied for him.
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