The 2025 Manager of the Year is, DAVID BRAUN from LAPD Blue

This award is long overdue. The LAPD Blue has a 3+ decade history of being a dominant force in police softball, but disbanded for 3 years from 2014-2017. In 2017, LAPD Blue officer DAVID BRAUN took over the team and they have been the most successful team in the circuit since he took the helm. They finished in 2nd place his first year as manager and have won a WHOPPING FOUR championships since that time. Other than SoCal Alliance, no other team has won more than ONE World Championship. Keep in mind, David also won a world championship as a player for DEA Combo in 2014. But, as a manager he has taken his success to a different level. David does not lure in marquee players with promises of lucrative sponsorships. He doesn’t even have to recruit. The top players come to him because they want to be part of his program. Even though the team has several USSSA conference players, on any given weekend, many of them are unavailable due to civilian ball commitments. This does not phase David as his mindset is simply, “next man up.” There is a famous quote, “"An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep.” In the case of David and and the LAPD Blue, they have an army of lions led by a bigger lion. And that lion is our manager of the year.

Being a team first, humble guy, the fact that David has his back to the camera while he watches his teammate seems like an appropriate photo to celebrate his award.