By PrepSpin
From Jaguar catcher to college baseball
Poulin was a standout catcher during his days at East Jessamine, eventually earning the opportunity to continue his baseball career at Pikeville College.
Catching is a position that demands leadership, toughness and an understanding of the game that goes well beyond the physical skills.
Poulin embraced that role.
Baseball eventually took him beyond East Jessamine, but the lessons he learned on the diamond stayed with him long after his playing career ended.
Today, Poulin has a full-time career, a wife, three children β two daughters and a son β and an entirely new role in sports.
He’s become the coach.
Building something bigger than a team
Poulin is one of the people behind the Diamond Dogs, a nonprofit travel softball organization created to help Central Kentucky girls realize their potential both on and off the field.
It’s a role that fits him naturally.
The same competitiveness and passion that once made him a catcher at East Jessamine are now being poured into young softball players.
And one of those players happens to be his daughter.
Meet Karaline Poulin
Dylan’s daughter, Karaline, is following in her dad’s footsteps β although she’s chosen a different version of the position.
She’s a catcher.
And she’s already making a name for herself.
During a tournament in Danville this spring, Karaline put together a performance that sounds almost too good to be true.
She hit three inside-the-park home runs in a single tournament.
For a young player, that’s an incredible accomplishment.
For her father, watching his daughter excel on the softball field has to carry an entirely different meaning.
Dylan once stood behind the plate for East Jessamine baseball.
Now he’s standing in the dugout watching his daughter do the same thing in softball.
And then there’s Gracie
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Dylan’s story is a connection that stretches back to his own high school playing days.
One of the players Dylan coaches today is Gracie Warfield, one of the top young 10U softball players in Kentucky.
Gracie’s father, William Warfield, was around the East Jessamine baseball program years ago β doing play-by-play of Dylan’s games.
William watched Dylan play baseball.
Today, Dylan is coaching William’s daughter.
That’s about as full circle as sports gets.
The voices, faces and names around the ballpark may change, but the game has a funny way of connecting generations.
The young catcher William once called from behind the plate is now helping coach his daughter.
And Dylan isn’t simply coaching Gracie.
He’s helping develop a young athlete who has already established herself as one of the state’s most talented players at her age.
The Diamond Dogs have become a family
The Diamond Dogs aren’t simply about wins and losses.
They’re about development.
They’re about opportunity.
And they’re about giving young girls a place where they can learn the game, compete and realize their potential.
The organization has assembled a talented group of athletes, and Dylan has become an important part of that development.
There’s also a family atmosphere surrounding the team.
Dylan’s wife is right there with him, serving as a team mom and helping support the players and families who make up the Diamond Dogs.
And his parents?
They’re still doing stats.
Just like they did all those years ago when Dylan was playing baseball for East Jessamine.
Only now they’re keeping stats for the teams Dylan coaches.
Some things really don’t change.
The next chapter takes Dylan back home
Dylan’s coaching journey is about to come full circle again.
Dylan recently accepted a position as an assistant coach with East Jessamine Middle School softball.
He’ll begin that new chapter when early spring workouts get underway.
For someone who once wore the East Jessamine uniform as a baseball player, returning to the school as a coach is another full-circle moment.
The kid who once played on those fields is now going to have an opportunity to help teach the next generation of athletes.
And perhaps that’s the best part of the story.
Dylan isn’t simply returning to East Jessamine.
He’s returning with years of experience, a family of his own and a passion for helping young athletes grow.
Still a Kentucky sports fan
Away from the softball field, Dylan remains a passionate University of Kentucky fan.
He’s a huge UK supporter and even has season tickets to Kentucky football games.
So while his Saturdays may include plenty of blue and white, his spring and summer are increasingly filled with another color combination β the Diamond Dogs.
Where Are They Now?
It’s easy to think of former high school athletes as frozen in time.
When we remember them, we remember the uniform.
The ballpark.
The teammates.
The games.
But life keeps moving.
Dylan Poulin’s story is a perfect example.
The East Jessamine catcher who once had his parents keeping stats and had his games called from the press box has grown into a husband, father, coach and community leader.
He’s built a family.
He’s built a nonprofit organization designed to help young girls find their potential.
He’s watched his daughter become a catcher.
He’s coached some of the best young softball players in Central Kentucky.
And now he’s returning to the school where his own athletic journey began β this time on the other side of the fence.
There is something special about that.
Because baseball gave Dylan Poulin memories.
But coaching has given him something else:
the opportunity to help create memories for the next generation.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, the game came full circle.
The broadcaster who once called Dylan Poulin’s East Jessamine baseball games now watches his daughter play for a team coached by that same former Jaguar catcher.
Dylan’s parents still keep the stats.
His daughter is still catching.
And Dylan is still at the ballpark.
Only now, he’s the one helping the next generation find their way.
That’s where they are now.