Legendary baseball coach Ron Polk was the guest speaker at a Thorsby baseball banquet on Tuesday.

Polk—who was inducted to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 after a career in which he won 1,373 games in 35 seasons as a head coach at Georgia Southern, Mississippi State and Georgia—kept the audience entertained with jokes and funny stories but also had an important message for the youth in attendance.

“The next three to four years will determine the rest of your life,” he said and encouraged them to block out distractions and focus on being the best person they can be.

He concluded his speech with four points: have some type of faith, never have a bad day, be special instead of average, and make a difference in someone’s life every day.