Mass. H.S. Track/Cross Country Coach Goes For Win No. 1,000

January 12, 2011 /
MassLive.com

BUCKLAND – MohawkTrailRegionalHigh School coach Joe Chadwick is sitting on 999 career wins.

The funny part about that is, years ago, Chadwick never even intended to apply for a head coaching job at his alma mater.

Chadwick, a 1974 Mohawk graduate, will have a shot at win No. 1,000 when his indoor girls track team takes on Cathedral and Greenfield at SmithCollege Friday at 3:45 p.m. at a Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet.

“It means I’ve been around a long time,” said Chadwick, 57, of ShelburneFalls. “I think it’s one of those things I’ll look back on and think ‘I did OK’.”

 Chadwick’s teams have been more than OK since he took over the boys and girls cross country programs in 1981, and the boys track team in 1982. He picked up both indoor track teams 10 years ago and moved to just the girls a few seasons ago. He made the switch from boys outdoor track to girls three years ago.

Mohawk has won 38 Western Massachusetts titles with Chadwick at the helm.

Chadwick worked as an assistant cross country and outdoor track coach for Connie Putnam for six seasons. When Putnam decided to leave Mohawk, he encouraged Chadwick to apply for the head coaching position.

“He asked me, ‘Why aren’t you applying for it,’?” Chadwick said. “I hadn’t given any thought to being a head coach. I just liked working with him and working with the kids. I wasn’t going to apply for it but he said I should do it. I never was going to apply. I was just happy to work with the kids.

“I didn’t see myself as a head coach. I just enjoyed going up there and being part of the program.”

 Chadwick, who ran cross country and track for Putnam at Mohawk, didn’t think he had a chance at the head coaching position because he didn’t teach at the school. But Bill Pollard, the Mohawk athletic director at the time, thought otherwise.

“Mohawk has been so supportive over the years,” Chadwick said. “Back when I started coaching, it was weird to have a coach outside the school system. They were all teachers.”

Chadwick has enjoyed his successful coaching run with his family. His three children – Joe, Rena and Walter – all ran for Chadwick at Mohawk, and his wife, Priscilla has served as a Western Massachusetts track official. Priscilla Chadwick will likely be an official at the indoor meet Friday.

“She’ll probably throw me out of the meet so I don’t get to 1,000,” he joked.


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