COACH AHART HONORED AT DEDICATION
"This is a team honor and all
the coaches and players share in this honor," "Coach" Fred Ahart told the large
audience January 4 at the official dedication of the Roscoe Central School
"Coach" Fred Ahart Gymnasium.
This honor is reserved as one of the
highest honors given a coach but Ahart strongly noted, " the coaches and players
are equally important in this process."
Many of the speakers at the dedication
and the Toast & Roast event held at the Rockland House all commented that
"this is a great honor not only for him but the entire
community."
During the formal ceremony "Coach" Ahart commented
about the students he has also coached from Livingston Manor, Liberty,
Tri-Valley and Downville and the many friendships he has made with coaches and
officials from the old Western Sullivan League, Section IX, the
Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY), the BCANY Hall of Fame, the
NYSPHSAA Boys Basketball Committee and officials from the Orange County
Interscholastic Athletic Association. He especially thanked and pointed out
three committee members of the State Boys Basketball Committee who were part of
"making this day a very special occasion."
Thanks from Ahart also went out to those who officiate
games and also the media for their efforts in covering the sporting
events.
Ahart told the dedication ceremony audience, "that many
people have asked me over the year what players were the best or would be my
starting five and my response was all my players including the players on the
bench."
Fred expressed high admiration for His family and in
particular his wife, Becky, for their support in his many years of
coaching.
Past and present players, including David Rosetti
(1969-1979), Rusty and P.J. Pomeroy (1980-1989), Matt Csoka and Jason Closs
(1990-1999), Troy Kirchner, Dustin Sullivan and Chris Ballard (2000-2009) and
Brad Dreher and Liam Fogarty (2010-2014) all shared their favorite memories of
"Coach" Ahart.
Rosetti in his opening remarks said, "I'm a fan of Fred
Ahart and when I first met this young man he walked out of the old coaches
office, a pair of sneakers on, short sleeve shirt and a whistle around his neck
and I said to myself I think I'm going to like this man."
Rosetti said he played for Roscoe during the years of
1972 to 1975 and "Fred was the greatest supporter and builder of confidence in
me and in many others."
"As a teenager in Roscoe in the 70's the only game in
town was sports and fortunately we had a man such as Fred Ahart who understood
that all too well, much to the shagrin of his wife," Rosetti
said.
Rosetti also pointed out that "the coach toured the
streets at night and upon seeing us he made sure to tell us to go home and stay
out of trouble."
Athletic accomplishments are honored in many ways and
speaker after speaker had the highest praise for their coach.
A talented, accomplished and humble coach, Ahart
made sure that every knew "I didn't do this by myself I did this with all of
your support."
Known simply and affectionately as
"Coach" in the Roscoe community Ahart is easily
described today as one of the most outstanding and highly respected coaches in
not only Section IX but throughout New York State. During his 45 years at RCS "Coach" Fred has served
the youth of Roscoe as their Athletic Director, football, basketball and track
coach, has supervised the Saturday Rec. and summer rec. programs, been dean of
students, a member of the faculty advisers to the National Honor Society, has
been the Basketball Officials Signer, is Co-Chairman of the Section IX
Boys'Basketball Committee, a Section IX representative to the New York State
Public High School Athletic Association's Basketball Committee, os Chairman of
the Section IX Eligibility Committee, serves on the Section IX Athletic Council,
has been honored as Athletic Director of the year in 1993, Football Coach of
Year in 1999 and in 2010 he was inducted into the New York State Basketball
Coaches Hall of Fame.
He has indeed been a mentor to many
athletes and students as well as the father of five and grandfather of
14.
The 66-year-old Ahart has served RCS
under the leadership of 16 superintendents and was hired by William Jones to
teach Physical Education/Health and to be the basketball
coach.
Fred Ahart's athletic accomplishments
include two Western Sullivan League football championships in 1989 and 1990, two
division championships in 1989 and 1990, one regional championship in 1990, five
Western Sullivan Basketball Championships 1984, 85, 86, 89, 98, three Section IX
championships 1984, 86, 98, a New York State semi-final win (1986) that being
the only trip to the NYS tournament for Roscoe.
The biggest changes for Fred in his
time at RCS came about in 2002 when he watched as the "little gym" where he'd
spent 33 years of his career and was his "home away from home" become an
auditorium and the school opened a state of the art full sized gymnasium for the
next generation of athletes.
Roscoe's Athletic Director through all
the changes also was part of merging football with their biggest rival
Livingston Manor which ended in 2012 but with it came Roscoe's merging with
Downsville for football, soccer, girls' basketball, modified girls' basketball,
baseball, softball, golf and cross country.
The only Roscoe sport that has not
merged is boys' basketball.
Ahart graduated from Ithaca College in
1969 with a physicial education degree and picked the small rural school
district in Northwestern Sullivan County because, in addition to being head of
the athletic department he could immediately get into coaching.
Everyone praised the efforts of this
events organizing committee consisting of Debbie Henrickson, Becky Ahart and Maryanne Ahart
Clancy......a job well done for an honor well deserved.
Additional photos taken at the
dedication ceremony and the toast and roast event can be seen at
http://bght.blogspot.com
Roscoe School Superintendent John Evans, right, and school
board president Ed Park, left, assist in the official unveiling of the "Coach"
Fred Ahart Gymnasium banner as "Coach"Ahart smiles with
gratitude.
Long time friend and former Jeffersonville-Youngsville
coach Jerry Davitt, left, shares time with "Coach" Fred Ahart.
Guest speakers and officials at the "Coach" Fred Ahart
dedication ceremony included, from the left, David Rosetti, Rusty Pomeroy, P.J.
Pomeroy, Liam Fogarty, Brad Dreher, John Evens, Kevin Witt (the evenings MC),
Matt Csoka, "Coach" Fred Ahart, Troy Kirchner, Dustin Sullivan, Chris Ballard,
Jason Closs, Dan Clancy and Paige Clancy.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE BELOW PHOTOS......
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