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| Coach Newton talks motivation, expectation on eve of 2009 York XC season |
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“I love this; this is my life,” he says, beginning 54th year coaching By Bob Smith Correspondent At 80 years old in his 54th coaching season, Joe Newton is not a man who likes to finish second. The coach made that point abundantly clear when he talked with The Independent in an exclusive interview about the upcoming cross-country season and his 2009 team. “I didn’t like to finish second when I was 40 either,” the coach huffed. “And I told my guys that. Losing the state championship last year by one point is something I haven’t forgotten; that feeling stays with you until you wipe it out. I told my guys that. They felt it too, Smitty, [Andrew Smith], [Jack] Driggs, [Adam] Cecil, it’s our motivation. "Hell, if we finish second again that would be three times in a row. Uh uh!” The coach made it clear he wasn’t predicting a state championship. “You don’t predict because you never know what will happen. You just make people understand that it takes total dedication and commitment to achieve your goals. Nothing less. I won’t accept anything less and I have a group here that is capable of winning if they give me those two things.” It was a good opportunity to get the coach to expound on his 2009 squad, recently ranked second in the nation by Dyestat USA and The Harrier. Newton hesitated a moment, measuring his words. “This team is special,” he began. “It reminds me of a championship team we had in the mid-80s; I can’t remember exactly, but Bob Schultz, the coach of Loras College was on that team. There were no superstars, just a great group of guys who were great runners. They all ran together and won state without a single All-Stater. A couple of times we had a 15-second 1-7 split. That’s what this team is like, but I think we’ll have All-Staters. "They’re bonded; the camaraderie is special. I love this team.” But who are the guys who make this team special? “We have great seniors with experience and leadership qualities like Andrew Smith, Adam Cecil and Matt Schacht. Jack Driggs is a junior but he’s coming off an amazing track season. We’re talking about guys who could be top 5 in state. These guys could all finish together.” But Newton always wants you to know that his program is not special just because of three or four runners. It’s a philosophy, honed over more than half a century. There were more names he felt needed recognition, and when you interview Newton, you do it on his terms. “A lot of guys could make this top seven,” he said. “The senior, Kush [Khushpal] Sangha has been hurt a little but he’s almost back all the way and I expect him to be in there. The Hedman brothers have made real progress over the summer, worked hard, and they’ll be right there fighting for a spot. Our other junior, Nick Gornick, had some damn ankle sprain or something, but he’s already back with group one.” If you follow the history of Newton’s teams, you know there is almost always a dark horse senior who takes that final step up to the big time when nobody expected it, somebody with more heart than talent whose pain and sweat earns the unqualified respect of his peers. Last year it was Brian Pollastrini. The coach seemed to revel in the question and was ready with his answer. “Hell, yes, there could be a dark horse, maybe a damn herd of them. We got guys who have worked their &*#%-es off for two, three years who are ready: Tim Cooney, Matt Doherty, Tom Falkenburg, Eric Reisenbuckler, Cody Sharko, Matt Helm, Matt Simo, Eddie Sack, Dan Milling, Peter Dever. “ But there is more to a team than its athletes. For this team there is a hall-of-fame coach, a former Olympic coach, who was with his athletes when word of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was broadcast in 1963, a coach who sent “his guys” to fight in South Vietnam during the long and turbulent 60s, a coach who has welcomed back, doctors, scientists, pilots, war heroes and an endless long green line of grateful alumni who, like us, want to know, “Joe, how long will you go?” (The abbreviated first name fits, only because it rhymes. Very few use it when addressing him.) But the coach consistently answers that question with a meaningful deflection. “I love this; this is my life,” he explains. “I have as much passion now as when I started. The most important thing in life is to make sure that when you die, there are people who love you. I think I’ve taken care of that and now I’m ready to see these guys win another championship.” Just one more question for the coach...what does he see as his biggest challenge this year? Newton smiled. “That’s easy,” he said. “It’s always the same. Coaching is really just having your athletes ready to run their best race on the day it means the most. That’s my job.” The smart money says these Dukes will be ready. Joe Newton will see to it. |