CENTER TWP — For years, volleyball was Meghan Lucas' passion.

The Butler High School girls coach for 11 years. She also coached her alma mater, Kiski Area, to three section titles, was an all-WPIAL player there and became captain of Clarion University's volleyball team.

While that passion still remains, it has shifted in a different direction.

Lucas stepped down as Golden Tornado coach after last season. She is now Director of Operations for the Potter Baseball Tour and has joined tour coach Jeff Potter in writing a children's book, “Pop Up Potter Is Your Friend.”

The duo is coming out with a second book, entitled “Safe Haven,” in October.

Potter is originally from Ellwood City and lives in Baltimore, Md. He played baseball at Pullman Park as a kid and has written two youth baseball books himself: “Whatever Happened to Baseball?” and “Saving Baseball.”

“Leaving coaching was one of the toughest decisions I've ever made,” Lucas said. “I needed a change, but I still wanted to be involved in sports.

“Writing this book has been therapeutic for me. I realize I've made an impact on some people's lives.”

Lucas met Potter by happenstance at an indoor training facility in New Castle. The two got to talking and quickly joined forces.

The Potter Tour — entering its fourth year — takes two separate travel teams ages 13-15 on three-week tours involving more than 40 total stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Virginia. They put on clinics, tours, do community service and participate in special events at each stop.

“I'm a coach and teacher, they're all about teaching kids responsibility and how to respect each other ... It was a natural for me,” Lucas said.

“Helping others and showing kids how to give back — those are the two things the Potter Tour promotes. I totally believe in that.”

She believes in it so much that her own son, Isaiah, 13, is one of three Butler youths on the Potter Tour this year, joining Reece Orlosky and Ryan Rebmann. That trio will participate on the second tour, which begins with a game at PNC Park July 14.

The first group tours from June 18 through July 13. The second runs from July 15 to Aug. 9.

Each player had to raise $3,000 to participate on the tour. That covers all expenses.

“We don't want the parents just fronting them the money,” Potter emphasized. “It's important that the player participate strongly in the fund-raising, if not do it all himself.

“That's all part of what we're about, teaching kids responsibility and the ability to follow their dreams while helping others.”

The Potter Tour will be in Butler July 11-13, putting on the third annual Potter Baseball/Butler Volleyball Cop-Ed Volleyball Tournament July 11, a baseball clinic at East Butler July 12 and a “Battle of the Bats” Tour Game July 13 at Speed-O Field.

Proceeds will benefit East Butler's Wesley Zablocki, who is battling cancer.

Other Butler County stops include a clinic in Freeport July 17 and three days of events in Cranberry Township July 7, 15 and 18.

The Potter team will play a Beep Baseball Game July 6 at the RMU Island Sports Center, wearing blindfolds against the Western Pa. School for the Blind. Proceeds will be donated to the Vision Research ROPARD Foundation.

Each Potter Tour event benefits a charitable project.

“Our players work hard on these tours, serving the community and putting on clinics. We have them doing a number of different things all the time,” Potter said. “In most cases, this is the first time these kids have been away from their parents and we encourage them to think on their own and see what a positive difference they can make.”

Lucas sees a need for society to “get back to basics” in youth sports.

“That includes the example parents set at games with their behavior, the way referees and officials are treated,” Lucas said. “Kids need to learn how to show respect, hustle on and off the field, help each other out as teammates, demonstrate sportsmanship to opponents.

“A lot of that has been lost and the Potter Tour is helping to bring it back.”

The Potter Tour emphasizes four life lessons — passion, hard work, respect and selflessness.

And it's created a new passion for Lucas.

“We're only beginning to grow,” she said. “We're just scratching the surface.”