The 2026 baseball season didn’t end the way Kewaunee coach Dan Spranger, his players and Storm fans wanted, but life goes on.

“Things don’t always go the way you plan, but I’m so proud of those guys,” Spranger said.
One month earlier, Spranger delivered a powerful message to a sold-out crowd at the Waterfront Banquet Hall in Kewaunee for the inaugural Laces 4 Life Student-Athlete Awards.

He addressed two suicides and an attempted suicide that shook Kewaunee and surrounding communities. That included 17-year-old Owen Vaughn, who died Feb. 3, 2025 after losing a battle with mental health. He was a member of the Storm baseball team.

“When baseball season came, our team had a purpose — to honor Owen,” Spranger said. “What those players carried was heavy. Expectations are always there in sports, but this was different. This was bigger than wins and losses. And you know what? They embraced it.”

The team went on a run that had never been done before in Kewaunee baseball history, reaching the state championship game.

“What those players accomplished on the field was incredible,” Spranger said. “But what they did emotionally — supporting each other, growing, becoming more aware — that’s what truly mattered. They showed us what it means to be there for one another.”
Nineteen days after the state championship game, on the night of Aug. 7, Spranger’s son woke him up and told him that his friend had seriously injured himself. He passed away a short time later.

“Another young life,” Spranger said. “Another family shattered. Another community shaken again.”

It forces you to ask questions you’ll never get answers to, he said.

“What we can understand is this: in those moments, the pain becomes overwhelming,” Spranger said. “The darkness closes in. And for that brief moment in time, it feels like there are no other options.”

Spranger said he believes both young men wanted to live, but in that moment, could not see a way forward.

“We cannot become numb to this,” Spranger said. “So the question becomes, what do we do? We start here. We start now. Not one more!” he said, pounding his fist on the podium.
Spranger told the six students being honored — Noah Hudson and Brett Paulsen of Kewaunee, Brady Rogers and Macie Zimmerman of Algoma, Emma Bousley of Southern Door and Cora Frangipane of Sturgeon Bay — that they were leaders in this fight.

“You are showing others what kindness, empathy and awareness look like,” he said. “You are making people feel seen, valued, and connected. You are the light in the darkness, and that matters more than you know.”

There are people who say we shouldn’t talk about suicide.

“I disagree,” Spranger said. “We don’t choose silence. No more assumptions that everyone is okay. No more missed opportunities to check in.”

We all experience frustration, pain, embarrassment and anger from time to time.

“Those feelings are part of being human,” Spranger said. “But when they build and turn into desperation, that’s when we need each other the most. Sometimes it starts with something simple — a smile, a hello, a conversation. Small actions can have a huge impact.”

He told a story about one of his students who attempted suicide just two weeks earlier.

“I think back to when this student and I once showed up wearing the exact same shoes,” Spranger said. “It was a bit awkward for him and I would imagine a little embarrassing for him as I would think it would be for most kids who show up with the same shirt or the same shoes as their teacher. Instead of being embarrassed, he smiled and said, ‘At least we’ll both be fast.’ That stuck with me.”

Spranger said he put those shoes on again one recent day, and it made him think.

“We need to walk in each other’s shoes,” he said. “I wished I had walked a little more in his.”
The longtime educator said it’s important to take time to understand where people are coming from.

“Walk beside them,” he said. “Help guide them — not just where they’re going, but away from what they may be running from.”

Spranger said we can’t be silent. We can’t assume, and we can’t look the other way.
“We choose awareness,” he said. “We choose connection. We choose action. And we choose — every single day — not one more!”

23’s Cleats for Kidz

Bentley Gerczak, the 11-year-old president of 23’s Cleats for Kidz, said the Laces 4 Life event isn’t about stats, wins or highlights.

“What we are doing here goes far beyond sports,” Gerczak said. “Because for so many kids, the field, the court, the track — it’s not just where they play, it’s where they breathe. It’s where they feel seen. And it’s where they find belonging when the world feels heavy.” Gerczak said a lot of kids are carrying more than people may realize, things like stress, anxiety, pressure and loneliness.

“Some are fighting battles they don’t talk about,” Gerczak said. “Some are struggling in silence. And too many young people today are facing mental health challenges that can feel overwhelming.”

While Hudson was named the winner of the inaugural award, Gerczak praised all the finalists for being the kind of people who lift others up, create a sense of belonging and understand that being a part of a team goes far beyond the game.

“This award represents compassion, leadership and courage to care,” he said. “Most importantly, it represents the kind of person who helps others keep going, on and off the field.”

A mother’s love

Ashlee (Malvitz) Vaughn, Owen’s mother, said it was so heartwarming to see all the support received from the community, and beyond.

“Dan had a very impactful speech, and the six finalists are all incredible individuals that have very bright futures,” she said. “I am thankful to Chris (Vaughn) and Holly, the Gerczak family and the Spranger family for all the time put into the event, bringing awareness to mental health and suicide and keeping Owen’s memory alive.”