Tag Archives: Athletic Coaches

Educator and basketball coach Arnold Obey succumbs to Covid-19

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Educator Arnold Obey, center, coached boys varsity basketball at  Staten Island Academy for eight seasons. (Photo credit: Staten Island Advance)

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Arnold Obey, an accomplished teacher and principal from New York.

Arnold was born on March 5, 1947, in the Bronx, New York. He was the oldest of six children. As a young man, he was a star athlete on his school’s basketball team. He helped lead DeWitt Clinton High School to a 38-1 record, two public school city championship games, and one city title.

His  prowess was so impressive that he earned a basketball scholarship to Wagner College on Staten Island. During the years he attended Wagner, 1965 to 1968, the stellar athlete earned over 1,018 points cumulatively in his basketball games. He also participated in track and field, running the 100 and 200 yard dashes and a leg in the 4×400 yard relay. Also a long and triple jumper, Arnold established a school record in the triple jump with a leap of 44’ 11 ½.”. He held that record for over 30 years. In fact, he was inducted into Wagner’s Hall of Fame in 1991.

After college, Arnold served as an Assistant Basketball Coach at Wagner for three seasons. He also became the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Staten Island Boys Academy. There he guided his team for eight seasons, from 1977 to 1985.

After earning his college degree in 1968, Arnold inaugurated his career as an educator. He accepted a position as a history teacher in the Mariner’s Harbor neighborhood of Staten Island. Eventually he became the assistant principal at PS 16 in Tompkinsville. He also served as the principal of PS 31 in New Brighton, also on Staten Island. Arnold retired from the teaching professoin in 2002.

During his lengthy career in education, Arnold also established himself as an avid runner. He completed the NYC Marathon an astounding 38 times, even after suffering a stroke in 2012. His personal best time was 3 hours, 31 minutes.

Sadly, Arnold passed away from Covid-19 on March 22, 2020, while on vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with his family. He was 73 years old. You can read his obituary published by the New York Times on March 30, 2020.

Groton’s Andy Anderson: Varsity Rowing Coach and Spanish teacher

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Varsity Rowing Coach and Spanish teacher Andy Anderson of Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts.

Many excellent educators have earned accolades in fields outside of the classroom. One of these is Andy Anderson, a teacher from New York who has been inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame.

Andy was born on February 19, 1954, in Syracruse, New York. As a young man, he fell in love with the sport of rowing when he attended Mount Hermon School. Once he graduated, he enrolled at Trinity College of the United States, where he continued to develop his skills as a rower.

Since 1980, Andy has taught Spanish at the Groton School. Groton is a private boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. There Andy has also directed financial aid, headed the Disciplinary Committee, and participated in other administrative duties. But where Andy really shines is as the varsity coach for both the boys’ and girls’ rowing teams. He coached the girls team for 23 years. During that time, the Groton girls won the Henley Women’s Regatta three times and also earned first place finishes in the National and New England championships. He also coached the US Lightweight Women’s National team for 11 years. During that time, the women garnered three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the World Rowing Championships. 

In addition to his success as a rowing coach, Andy writes a column for the publication Rowing News. He has also published a best-selling book about rowing entitled the Compleat Dr. Rowing.

To read more about Andy, see this link at Groton.

 

Football Coach and Hall of Fame Inductee David Gentry of North Carolina

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Football Coach and Hall of Fame Inductee David Gentry of Murphy High School in Murphy, North Carolina, has coached young players for 49 years.

I always enjoy sharing stories about outstanding football coaches. Here is one of the best coaches in the country: David Gentry of Murphy High School in Murphy, North Carolina.

David was born on May 6, 1946, in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. As a young man, he attended Edneyville High School in Edneyville, in his home state. There he was a four-sport athlete, playing running back and outside linebacker for the Edneyville Yellowjackets. He earned his college degree at Elon University, a private liberal arts college located in Elon, North Carolina.

David inaugurated his career as a football coach in 1971. In the 49 years that followed, he led his teams to capture eight state championships. His fellow coaches admire David’s accomplishments with the Murphy High Bulldogs. The stellar coach holds the state record for most wins at one school.  “He does it the old-fashioned way, and I admire that,” remarked Josh Brooks, coach at Franklin.  “I can’t wrap my mind around his numbers, and when you have won as much as he has at the level he has played against for that long, it’s really unbelievable,” Josh continued. At age 77, David is in his 36th year as a coach for the Bulldogs.

For his outstanding work on the field, David has been inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame. He has also garnered honors from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the Western North Carolina Hall of Fame. In addition, he was named the  National Federation of State High School Association’s National Coach of the Year in 2013.

To learn more about David Gentry, click on this link to USA’s Citizen Times.

Illinois educator Mark Peterson: Superb football coach and teacher

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Mark Peterson of chesterton, Illinois, has earned a reputation as a superb football coach. He’s also a terrific science and physical education teacher.

Many excellent educators also distinguish themselves as athletic coaches. One of these is Mark Peterson of Chesterton, Illinois. Mark is a science and physical education teacher who has earned a reputation as a superb football coach.

Mark asserts that the responsibility of an athletic coach is to inspire the team and make sure the players perform well. “I’m positive about all of our opportunities and being able to succeed in those as the season progresses,” Mark declares. “As a coach, seeing the team succeed is what I want. Everyone wants to win, but I, being the coach, am gonna see to it that we do,” he says.

Mark’s career as a football coach is great, but he is egually impressive as an educator. For the past eight years he has taught at Chesterton High School, a public high school in the Greater Chicago area. Currently he teaches Freshman Biology and Environment Science (2011 – present). Previous to his tenure at Chesterton, he taught physical education at Portage High School (2007 – 2011). Before accepting his position at Portage, he worked at Bishop Noll Institute for three years (2004 – 2007). The school is located in Hammond, Indiana. There he taught health courses and filled the position of Directory of Admissions.

This Chalkboard Champion earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1989 from Iowa Wesleyan College. The college is located in Mt. Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa. He earned his Master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Valparaiso University in 1993. Valparaiso is a private co-educational Lutheran university located in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

Read more about Chesterton HIgh School at this link from ValpoLife.

Missouri’s John Roderique: Stellar football coach and Athletic Director

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Webb City High School’s Head Football Coach and Athletic Director John Roderique has led his teams to 13 Missouri State Championships.

One of the most celebrated football coaches in the country is John Roderique of  Webb City, Missouri. There he works at his high school alma mater, Webb City High School. He also serves as the school’s Athletic Director.

John has been the Varsity Head Coach of Webb City’s football program since 1997. Since he has taken the helm, his teams have won an astounding total of 11 state championships. And they have logged an outstanding 10 undefeated seasons.

Despite all this success, John remains humble, and he encourages his players to remain humble, too. “I think one thing that maybe gets overlooked is just trying to keep everything in perspective in terms of never get too up and never get too down, and keeping all the winning and all of the success in perspective,” asserts John.

John was born in Joplin, Missouri. As a youngster, he attended Webb City High School. After his high school graduation, he enrolled at Pittsburg State University (PSU). There he played football as a starter for three years. In 1988 and 1989 he served as his team captain.

John earned his Master’s degree from PSU. Prior to his work in Webb City, John served as an Assistant Coach at Pittsburg State University for seven years.

For his stellar work as an athletic coach, John has earned many accolades. He’s been inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Joplin Area Sports Hall of Fame, the Webb City Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame.

To read more about John, see this biography at Webb City High School.