VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - It's been eight months since a beloved Navy veteran little league baseball coach was killed in a crash in Virginia Beach. John Hefti was killed in a crash on North Great Neck Road at Shorehaven Drive.
“He was an incredible coach, and I think he got it right with baseball,” Trey Faulkner, Hefti's brother-in-law, said. “[He] really loved the kids, and he really prioritized the right things, which was sportsmanship and being a team player. It wasn’t all about winning. It was about playing the game the right way and having fun.”
Faulkner's relationship with Hefti went from ships to friendship and ultimately, family.
He recalls being the first family member to arrive at the crash scene on October 4, 2021.
“I think that was the toughest day of my life,” Faulkner said.
The last eight months, for Faulkner and the rest of the Hefti family, have been filled with grief and trying to stay positive as Hefti's Dodgers took the field for the first time in six years without their coach.
“It wasn’t that we got to keep the players. The players wanted to play for John,” Dodgers coach Richard Velasco said.
“He was always with us,” Dodgers player Edward Shubert said. “Every at bat, I knew he was with us.”
Then came tournament time for the 10U Dodgers at the Great Neck Baseball League.
“We couldn’t help but know that John was with us in some way out on the field,” Dodgers parent Scott Van Gilder said pointing to a sign on the field reading “BAG.”
“'Bag' was his call sign in the Navy,” Faulkner said. “It’s been a constant reminder that he’s here with us and with the kids at every game.”
“We came into the tournament ranked fourth,” Velasco said. “They were definitely playing John Hefti baseball all weekend long.”
And it wasn't all about numbers on the scoreboard.
“They won it eight months to the day after John died on October 4, and John wore number 8 as his baseball number,” Faulkner said. “These kids came out here and the pulled off an incredible feat, and they won the entire thing.”
“Over the last few months, just rainbows have kind of continued to show up,” Faulkner added. “Somebody snapped a photo of John’s son, Shane, with one of his best friends from the team. And right behind them, in the back of the picture, there’s a huge picture. And at some point, you have to stop going, ‘Is this real?’ And you go, ‘This is real.’ He’s here. He’s with us.”
“That’s a sign if I’ve ever seen one,” Velasco said. “It was meant that John Hefti’s Dodgers were supposed to win.”
“He was running around wherever he was at going crazy, jumping up and down throwing his hat in the air with the kids,” Velasco added. “Hefti’s team was due for many years, and I’m just glad we were able to do it this year.”
“To recognize good, especially with everything that’s going on in the world and in our country today, it’s incredible to see something this positive have such a big impact,” Faulkner said.
Ronald Dozier has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in the crash. According to court records, Dozier has a preliminary hearing set for September.
Since Hefti’s death, more than $8,500 has been raised for the Great Neck Baseball League and youth sports.
Hefti’s family has also created a scholarship fund in his name. Since October, the family has raised more than $135,000 going towards scholarships in his name.
According to the family, scholarships will be for student-athletes from schools in Hampton Roads and Heft’s high school in Northern Virginia. More details will be available at a later date.
If you'd like to donate to the John Hefti Memorial Scholarship fund, click here.
