Santa Clarita resident and retired William S. Hart High School Baseball Coach Jim Ozella announced his first book was published this spring.

“The Greatest Time to Be a Kid: Stories of Unexpected Adventure” is now available on Amazon.com. With Father’s Day around the corner, readers can purchase a copy online and bring an edition to the book signing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at Hart High in the J Plaza, 24825 Newhall Ave.

Long before Ozella became a veteran educator and a head coach of more than 40 years, guiding future MLB stars and coaches, Cy Young award winners, and World Series champions, he was a child raised in Ingalls Park, Illinois, where he learned the true meaning of community, friendship, and family. These cherished stories are sometimes sentimental, and always timeless.

“I was blessed by the guidance of loving parents and family to develop while living in the Ingalls Park-Joliet region,” he said. “The book shares my memories of being raised in a loving environment during the 1960s, when our American society moved at a simple pace.”

Ozella retired in May after his 25th year; he led the Hart High team to nine Foothill League titles. Since 2000, he has coached eight Hart High players who went on to Major League Baseball careers. Currently, Tyler Glasnow is pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Valaika is the hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians.

“The gateway to Hart Baseball has provided an opportunity for our dedicated studentathletes to reach their academic and baseball goals,” Ozella said.  The tradition built by the efforts of the players certainly has been a proud moment in my career.”

Ozella completed his final regular season game in the Hart High baseball dugout on April 25 against Canyon High. He had a stellar final season as he guided the team to the school’s second Division II California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section title. He is ready for the next chapter in his retirement, and he reflected on the recent events. “The spring 2024 season was a whirlwind of excitement for our players, the coaching staff and the school,” Ozella said. “Winning the Foothill League title, and then marching through the five challenging games of the Division II gauntlet provides the memory of a lifetime for the team and myself.”

Visit Amazon.com today to get a digital or hard copy of “The Greatest Time to Be a Kid: Stories of Unexpected Adventure.”