Mike Wheeler enjoyed his eight seasons as head coach of the New London baseball team, but has stepped down because he didn’t want to miss any more time away from his family.

“I absolutely loved all the time I spent coaching the baseball team in New London,” Wheeler said Thursday after announcing his resignation. “But I have two young children. A wise man once told me that you have only one chance to raise your kids, and I wasn’t willing to miss out on it much longer.”

New London won 115 games under Wheeler, including the 2009 CIAC Class M championship. Twenty of his players have gone on to play in college.

“I care so much about the kids that I’ve coached,” Wheeler said. “It was a tough decision to make, but I think it was the right thing for my family. I’m really hopeful that in the future, when the time is right and if the opportunity presents itself, that I can come back. I loved the kids and I loved the journey I got to take.”

n.griffen@theday.com