LARGER THAN LIFE: How Southeastern’s Chris Skaggs has won battles on, and off, the diamond

Derrick Webb, Managing Editor

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

CHILLICOTHE — It’s hard to miss Chris Skaggs.

His 7-foot, 400-pound stature gives him away in any environment, and if you’re simply not looking, his voice carries like a church bell in an open field.

But that’s where Southeastern’s softball program found itself less than a month ago — sorely missing its undeniable leader.

On April 22, Skaggs’ Panthers were getting prepared to meet with Piketon in a game that had plenty of conference title implications.

Meanwhile, the head coach had checked himself into the hospital while prepping for bad news.

“I’m stubborn and I had an injury that, for a while, I didn’t take care of,” Skaggs said. “I ran a nail through my foot years ago and it never healed right because of some medical issues. Basically, I got a bone infection and had two blood clots inside. I had been dealing with it for around two or three years and kind of knew that it was coming. But I was hoping to get through the softball season. Honestly, it just couldn’t wait any longer. I was in so much pain.”

Skaggs’ self check-in to Adena Regional Medical Center was unbeknownst to his team and, for that matter, his family. 

His four children — 20, 17, 16 and six years old — alongside his wife, Rachel, found out in an untraditional way, but also in a way that embodies how selfless their dad and husband really is.

“That morning, from the hospital bed, I texted my wife a photo of me laying in the hospital bed in a gown,” Skaggs said, with a laugh. “I’m not too sure what she thought of that at the time, but she couldn’t have been too happy. I didn’t want them to worry too much. But it needed to be done.”

Unfortunately, throughout the next four days, Skaggs’ prognosis took a turn for the worse.

After evaluating the situation and trying everything they could to prevent surgery, doctors informed him and his family that they’d need to amputate his left leg from the knee down.

Shock. Uncertainty. Worry. 

All of those emotions understandably flooded the room.

But if there was one thing that Skaggs wasn’t worried about, it was how he’d manage to meet a new challenge on a daily basis.

“My kids don’t really say much. They’re kind of like me,” Skaggs said. “They don’t really get emotional. They’ve just supported me and they’ve worried about me, I’m sure. My wife has been huge through all of this. Compared to me, she’s a little, tiny woman. But she was, and has been, my entire world through the process. My parents, my sister and my siblings … I’ve just got a huge support system.”

The big fella’s life would certainly be affected in so many ways, and coaching throughout the rest of the softball season? Well, in a best-case scenario, that thought seemed to be in serious jeopardy.

Unless you were Chris Skaggs.

He never took his eye off the ball — pun intended — and knew he’d be back at some point this spring.

“My worry was always for the girls,” Skaggs said. “I told the therapist at Dodd Hall [at Ohio State], that first night, ‘I’m not going to be here long.’ My goal was to be out by May 13, which was our first tournament game. I was only there for three days. That was what I worked towards. The girls came and saw me in the hospital before I left Adena and my seniors came and gave me a stuffed frog that I kept by me everyday. So I just pushed. I wanted to be back with them.”

While Skaggs’ worries rested in his dugout, that feeling was reciprocated tenfold.

“We were kind of freaking out because none of us really knew anything,” senior Ally Fisher said. “But I knew that coach was going to be OK. He was texting us, telling us how he was doing, reassuring us. We just knew we had to keep the team together until he got back.”

“I was really scared,” senior Gracie Brown added. “He is the person that’s talking before each play. He told me that he needed me to step up and do that when he was gone. It was like, ‘Oh no, I can’t do this.’ He’s the guy who does that. But I tried my best to step up and do that for him.”

On April 26, doctors successfully amputated Skaggs’ left leg without complications. 

Just 12 days later, on May 8, he was discharged from the hospital and he immediately headed to a diamond — in fact, he went to two.

“When I woke up from surgery, I was actually not in pain anymore, “Skaggs said. “It was different, and I knew it would be. I just didn’t know how different. I actually went to my six-year-old’s c-ball game that night. Then, I came to the parking lot and waited for the girls to get home. They were surprised to see me to say the least.”

The Panthers, a group that includes Skaggs’ 16-year-old daughter Dylan, had traveled to and beaten Portsmouth West by an 11-7 final that evening in a slugfest.

When they returned to the high school, Skaggs was waiting to celebrate the victory with them. 

“That was awesome,” Fisher said. “None of us had any idea. We’re all sleeping on the bus back and our assistant coach, Jeremy [Ward], waited until the end of the ride to talk to us so we wouldn’t look outside. When the bus doors opened and [Skaggs] was right there, it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It was just crazy and it was an emotional time for all of us.”

Five days later, Southeastern met with Oak Hill in a Division V district quarterfinal and Skaggs made his official return to the team.

He didn’t coach third base and he certainly wasn’t making any visits to the circle.

But he was there. 

Present … after a three-week marathon that, at one point, threatened his life and, ultimately, claimed a limb.

“I’m just fortunate that I’m still here for one, but also because I’ve got a good support system at home,” Skaggs said. “My family and friends … I can’t tell you how many texts and phone calls I’ve gotten from people just reaching out. I’ve been on a field, or a court, most of my life. That’s what we are and who we are. It’s the way we run. My biggest thing was that I just wanted to be back and be a part of it. I treat all of these kids like they’re my own.”

That night, with their leader back where he belonged, the Panthers beat the Oaks by a 10-0 final to clinch a spot in a district semifinal contest.

Sure, the win was awesome to have. 

But Southeastern had already won a greater prize before the first pitch took place.

“[Skaggs] means a lot to me,” Fisher said. “Just growing up, he’s always been here. So it’s not been just through softball. It’s been in every sport since I was in the sixth grade. He’s just a very uplifting guy. I just don’t know what I’d do without him, honestly. I’m happy he’s back.”

“He’s one of my biggest supporters, no matter what,” Brown added. “He’s always been there, motivating me when I need it the most. It matters. I listen to him when he does those things. It helps a lot. It just improves all of our confidence when he’s here.”

The win over Oak Hill was followed by a nail-biting victory over North Adams this past Tuesday at Ohio University, allowing the Panthers to advance to a district championship game.

The team’s next test will come against No. 2 seeded Meigs at 2:30 p.m. on Friday in Athens, where a win would mark the program’s first-ever district crown.

That would be the cherry on top of a season filled with ups and downs.

“These girls have been more focused than they ever have before. And I think our seniors have realized that they’re nearing the end of their journey. We’re on the ride together. They don’t want it to be over and neither do we.”

But no matter what Friday’s outcome is, and despite an emotional, physical change that will affect his daily life, Skaggs is adamant about his continuing presence within the program.

You can book it. 

He’ll be in the dugout and, eventually, back at third base.

Right where God intended him to be, leading a group of student-athletes that believe he’s still larger than life.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Skaggs said. “I love these kids. In a couple of weeks, I’m going to be fitted for a prosthetic. So at this time next year, we’ll be standing out here talking. That’s my goal. The goal is to be in that prosthetic by July without missing a beat. I’ve got four kids myself and they need a dad. I won’t be confined to this chair. They need me and I need to be with them.

“I’ve had a lot of down time to think. I just can’t describe the support and love that I’ve felt from my community. Friends, family, it’s just really overwhelming. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to repay them for what they’ve given me. I’m forever grateful for that.”

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