Poughkeepsie Journal (New York)
April 17, 2008 Thursday
This old coach has a heart of gold
BYLINE: Pete Colaizzo
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 8C
They warned me. The guys that I worked with in the sports department at the Poughkeepsie Journal back in late 1980s, they told me not to mess with Old Man Schatzle. Don’t cross him. Don’t bug him. He’s a grumpy old man, they said; he’ll eat you for lunch, they admonished.
Back in that spring so many years ago, I was assigned to write a story on the Conference I track championships. I was to do what we call a “phone separate,” meaning I had to craft the story after getting the results and doing interviews over the telephone. Only it was a rainy day. Track meets rarely get rained out, and so it was the only thing on the high school slate. The phone lines would be quiet. The editor said I could go down to John Jay High School, get some quotes, enjoy the meet.
Upon arriving, I did not do as instructed. I went up to John Jay coach Joe Schatzle and asked him something. It was probably an innocuous question. He glared at me, told me not to interrupt him during this championship meet. He’s an old Marine. His glare means business.
Hmm. The guys were right. I wasn’t the most assertive young reporter back then; I had been put in my place. So I went to get a slice of pizza, drove back to the office and contemplated my next move. In a few hours, I would have to work the phones and write the story. No big deal.
A few hours later, the phone rang. It was an internal ring. The Old Man was downstairs. He had results of the meet. I practically broke out in a cold sweat.
I went downstairs and let him in. He had two big oak-tag sheets with the complete results. He brought them upstairs with me, waited while I typed them in. As I typed them in, I started asking questions.
The 3,200-meter winner, what was his mile split, I wondered? I’m a distance guy, so I immediately gravitate toward these events. Coach Schatzle described each race that I asked about in detail. Then he asked: “Hey, are you a track man?” I told him my running background, which of course paled in comparison to the former world-class sprinter in my presence.
A bond had been forged. We were both “track men.” We talked the talk. The results were typed in. Now it was time to write the story. Only Coach Schatzle wanted to tell me about his days as a Manhattan College Jasper. He wanted to tell me about all the great runners he coached through the years. I listened intently. This was great stuff! But I was on deadline. Politely, I had to excuse myself to write the story.
I escorted the Old Man down the elevator and out of the building. Upon returning to the Sports Room, I was met with stunned colleagues. I had gotten through to the Old Man! Schatzle likes him, they marveled.
Like many older guys, behind that gruff exterior was -and still is – a warm-hearted storyteller. I talked to him fre-quently during the ensuing years for track stories. I went to his retirement party 15 years ago, a star-studded affair with 1952 Olympic gold medalist Lindy Remigino – his old Jasper sprint-mate – in attendance. Track stories were told deep into the night.
After his retirement, we shared several bus trips to New York Yankees games with mutual friends. I always sat near the front, heard him tell more of the same track stories. As a certified track geek, I soaked it up. He is a true living history of the sport.
And now, all these years later, many of his former athletes are honoring him. On Saturday, April 26, a plaque will be dedicated to Coach Joe Schatzle for his 30-plus years of dedicated coaching in the Wappingers School District. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Roy C. Ketcham High School track; all former athletes are invited to attend.
Talk to these former athletes – many of them old men themselves, now – and they’ll mention how Coach Schatzle was a “second father” to them. They’ll come back to honor the Old Man next week.
Kudos to Frank Puzio (RCK, Class of 1966) for organizing this. All too often, ceremonies like this are done after the honoree has passed on. Better to recognize greatness while it is still in our midst. Long may he run.
LOAD-DATE: April 18, 2008
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Schatzle, Joe (MC1952) to be honored; another story about a nice gruff guy
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