2008 Woodie Awards
Track coach receives conference honors
By Jared Ursta
Rocket Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Sports
When people become coaches, they always have high expectations for their career. Some of the coaches never realize this dream, but many do.
Track coach John Papa is one coach who has realized this dream.
A few weeks ago, Papa added to his impressive coaching resume when other indoor track coaches from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference named him the conference's Coach of the Year.
Papa, 49, may have realized his coaching dream early on in life, while growing up in Pittsburgh.
"Not sure exactly," Papa said. "I was good at all sports, but track is one of the sports I excelled at, and I stuck with it in high school."
Papa attended Gateway High School, and was recruited to SRU by Bill Lennox, who was SRU's track coach prior to Papa.
Papa said there wasn't too much that contributed to him coming to Slippery Rock.
"I was recruited by Lennox," Papa said. "I was recruited for track, and that is what I did."
He came to SRU and majored in elementary education when the university still went under the name Slippery Rock State College.
As a sophomore, Papa received All-American status after he finished sixth in the decathlon at the Division III National Championships. During his senior year, he finished second in the nation in the decathlon and helped lead the Rock to a Division III National Championship.
"Sounds impressive," Papa said. "We had a great team, and even though we were a Division III team, the conference was Division II and we buried the rest of the teams.
"I don't think much about the national championship, I think more about the conference championship. It was more fun because there were more people at the conference championship than there was at the national meet."
Papa doesn't have one moment that he considers a crowning accomplishment, but there is one thing overall that he likes, coaching.
"I don't know, we have won a lot of championships overall, and I enjoy what I am doing every day," Papa said. "Coaching is great; I love it. Winning and losing is measurable, but being around kids that work hard is a good feeling."
Track coach John Papa is one coach who has realized this dream.
A few weeks ago, Papa added to his impressive coaching resume when other indoor track coaches from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference named him the conference's Coach of the Year.
Papa, 49, may have realized his coaching dream early on in life, while growing up in Pittsburgh.
"Not sure exactly," Papa said. "I was good at all sports, but track is one of the sports I excelled at, and I stuck with it in high school."
Papa attended Gateway High School, and was recruited to SRU by Bill Lennox, who was SRU's track coach prior to Papa.
Papa said there wasn't too much that contributed to him coming to Slippery Rock.
"I was recruited by Lennox," Papa said. "I was recruited for track, and that is what I did."
He came to SRU and majored in elementary education when the university still went under the name Slippery Rock State College.
As a sophomore, Papa received All-American status after he finished sixth in the decathlon at the Division III National Championships. During his senior year, he finished second in the nation in the decathlon and helped lead the Rock to a Division III National Championship.
"Sounds impressive," Papa said. "We had a great team, and even though we were a Division III team, the conference was Division II and we buried the rest of the teams.
"I don't think much about the national championship, I think more about the conference championship. It was more fun because there were more people at the conference championship than there was at the national meet."
Papa doesn't have one moment that he considers a crowning accomplishment, but there is one thing overall that he likes, coaching.
"I don't know, we have won a lot of championships overall, and I enjoy what I am doing every day," Papa said. "Coaching is great; I love it. Winning and losing is measurable, but being around kids that work hard is a good feeling."
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