The Coach Casey Classic 2026

In 2022, our community lost Casey David Schaftlein, a bright, compassionate young man whose greatest gift was lifting others up.

Friends, family and younger kids often called him “Coach Casey.” It wasn’t a joke or a nickname given lightly. Casey had a natural way of encouraging people, believing in them when they struggled to believe in themselves, and reminding them they mattered. 

Whether through a conversation, a laugh, or simply showing up, Casey helped people feel seen, supported, and capable. Being called “Coach” was a quiet but powerful testament to the kind of person he was.

Casey loved music and pursued that passion wholeheartedly, graduating from the Lexington Recording School and beginning to build a promising career in a Louisville recording studio. But Casey was also living with bipolar disorder. Like so many individuals and families, he encountered a mental health system that too often makes it difficult to find consistent, compassionate, stigma-free care.

His family fought fiercely to help him, navigating systems, searching for answers, and doing everything they could to support the son they loved so deeply. Their experience revealed painful gaps that no family should ever have to face alone.

Out of that love, and in honor of Casey’s life, his family created The Coach Casey Classic Golf Scramble.

This event is more than a fundraiser. It is a reflection of their devotion to Casey and their determination to transform heartbreak into hope. By supporting organizations working to improve mental health awareness, support, and access to care, they are ensuring that Casey’s life continues to make a difference.

The Coach Casey Classic will be held on October 9th, 2026, at the Glen Oaks Country Club with proceeds benefiting NAMI Louisville, whose free education programs, support groups, and advocacy help fill the gaps that too often leave individuals and families feeling alone.

Through this event, Casey’s legacy lives on.

Every conversation started, every family supported, and every life touched becomes another moment where Casey continues doing what he always did best — lifting others up.

In that quiet, powerful way, Coach Casey is still coaching and still guiding one person at a time toward hope, connection, and healing.