During a period in Joseph Townsend’s life when he needed a mentor, someone was there for him, and Townsend promised that he would do the same when he had the chance.

On Tuesday, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service to the Thomas Jefferson High School coach for his mentorship of young people throughout South King County.

“In these times, Coach Townsend exemplifies the best of our society,” von Reichbauer said. “Recognizing that no one can go it alone, he has provided a guiding hand and a point of focus for those who are at risk of heading down the wrong path.”

Raised by his father in Brooklyn, N.Y., after his mother passed away, Townsend admits he was headed to a life on the streets until his high school baseball coach stepped in and kept him on the baseball diamond, risking his own life to drive Townsend to and from practice.

After a stint in the Chicago Cubs minor league system and time in the military, Townsend found himself at Fort Lewis and in a position to fulfill a vow he made to “give back” in honor of the coach who reached out to him. He promised to “fight for children who are as lost as I was.”

Townsend has been the coach of the Jefferson baseball team for eight years. And with a father who was a professional bowler, it should be no surprise that he is also the coach of the school’s nationally ranked girls bowling team, the only team west of Colorado competing at the nationals.

Townsend, who works the graveyard shift as a corrections officer at the King County Juvenile Detention Center in Seattle, is committed to mentoring young people whose lives can change when there is an adult willing to reach out.