Joe Eidt doesn’t do it for the recognition.

&uot;I haven’t done these things to be honored,&uot; Eidt said. &uot;I just enjoy being with the kids.&uot;

It was for that very reason that Natchez Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith recently nominated Joseph Eidt III for the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Heroes Award for his 23 years of serving as a volunteer coach in youth baseball, basketball and football.

&uot;I felt like he was the perfect candidate to be nominated,&uot; Smith said. &uot;He has long been involved in recreation and he’s still very much involved in it today.&uot;

&uot;We’ve always participated in the nomination process for the award,&uot; the mayor added. &uot;We try not to miss an opportunity to promote the city of Natchez. We’ve had a long history of keeping nominations in front of these folks.&uot;

Eidt said he was surprised that he was nominated for the award by the mayor.

&uot;I really appreciate being nominated. It was something I did not expect,&uot; Eidt said. &uot;I want to thank the mayor for nominating me.&uot;

Eidt also said he does not expect to go to the national level for the award like Henry Harris, who won the national award in 1996.

However, Smith said Eidt is &uot;as strong a candidate as anyone.&uot;

&uot;I know what Joe’s done,&uot; he said. &uot;He’s well-known in recreation and has been a volunteer for many years.&uot;

Eidt served as co-commissioner for the youth basketball league in the early or mid-1990s with Bobby Smith.

He was co-founder of the Youth Football League in 1996, an organization run out of Woodville, he said.

Eidt also served on the Dixie Youth Baseball board of directors from 1998 to 2000.

&uot;I coached for 18 or so years before that,&uot; Eidt said.

Eidt has also served on the city of Natchez Recreation Council Citizen Advisory Board since 1993 and was named its chairman a few years later, helping to disperse funds to maintain and improve the quality of sports in the Natchez community.

&uot;It was either in ’96 or ’97,&uot; Eidt said. &uot;I’ve enjoyed serving on the board. My goal in the city is to build the (St. Catherine Village) Sports Complex, which is on the table.&uot;

Enjoying being around children is why Eidt decided to serve as a volunteer coach in youth sports.

&uot;I feel like the kids we coach learn something,&uot; Eidt said. &uot;Also, a couple of friends started coaching right out of high school.&uot;

The SGMA Heroes recognizes individuals who volunteer time and effort for grassroots sports in communities across the country.

Fifty-one state winners (including the District of Columbia) will be announced later this month.

Each winner receives a $100 cash prize and has $400 donated to his or her favorite sports program.