By Merv Moore
Sports Director & Head Baseball Coach
They told me it couldn’t be done. In the early 1990s, I stood on a soccer field in Switzerland, a country where baseball was a curious footnote, and they told me you couldn’t build a contender with players who practiced twice a week. They said a tiny nation could not compete with the big boys. Six years, four national championships, and 14 developed Swiss National Team players later, we had our answer. We knocked off the reigning B-Pool champs, Ukraine, with a 14-year-old kid on the mound. The secret wasn’t magic. It was a simple, relentless belief: Don’t be Good. Be Great.
That belief is now the beating heart of the Bohol Coconuts, and on February 1, 2026, we launch operations with a purpose as clear as a fastball down the middle. My wife, Lerma—a local councilwoman whose heart for this community is boundless—and I are chasing a dual dream. We are here to build a pipeline of elite baseball and softball talent right here on Bohol Island, and in doing so, transform futures.
My journey here passed through the Himalayas. After Switzerland, I spent 17 months in Bhutan and later Nepal, training coaches, building leagues from the ground up, and witnessing firsthand how sport can ignite a community. But the dream was always to find a home where I could work year-round, 250 days a year, not just in short clinics. Bohol is that home. The passion is here. The raw athletic talent is undeniable. Now, we’re installing the engine: professional, daily, disciplined development.
So, what’s the mission?
For our girls, we’re building softball players with two clear pathways: to earn college scholarships—both academic and athletic—and to compete for spots on the Philippine national softball teams. We will teach them to be complete athletes and students, understanding that greatness on the field opens doors to greatness in life.
For our boys, the vision expands. College scholarships are the first goal. Making the Philippine national team is the next. And for a special few, we are building the skills, the baseball IQ, and the mental toughness to sign professional minor league contracts. I’ve seen what it takes to develop players who can compete on an international stage with limited resources. Imagine what we can do with the gift of daily training.
This isn’t a fantasy. It’s a five-year plan. Within five years, I intend to take our top youth teams to compete in tournaments in Manila. We will measure ourselves against the best in the country. That is our proving ground.
But Lerma and I know that a hungry child can’t focus on a curveball. Dreams need fuel. That’s why our mission is holistic. Lerma is pioneering a members-only soup kitchen and food store with reduced prices to significantly impact the financial burden on our families. By ensuring nutritional needs are met, we free our kids to focus on their studies and their sports. Her dream is to provide the academic, social, and sports opportunities that create well-rounded, confident young people.
We are not just a club; we are a family with a shared hustle. Lerma is chasing her dream of uplifting this community. I’m chasing my dream of developing professional-caliber prospects. And together, we are teaching our kids to chase their own dreams. Every drill, every study session, every meal shared is a step toward “great.”
The fields of Switzerland taught me that limitations are often just illusions. The mountains of Bhutan taught me that foundation is everything. Now, the pristine diamonds of Bohol will be our canvas.
We are here. We are all in. And we are asking every kid who joins our club to believe in one simple, powerful idea: Don’t be Good. Be Great. Let’s chase these dreams together!
See you on February 1st for the beginning of an incredible journey!
Coach Merv Moore is a former award-winning sports writer, former Swiss national team coach, and a former development officer for baseball and softball in Bhutan. He and his wife, Lerma, now reside permanently in Bohol.
