BUCYRUS — The Bucyrus cross country and track programs lost nearly 90 years of combined coaching experience when head coach of both sports, Carl Rittenour, announced his retirement at the end of the 2020-21 seasons.
Joining Carl in retirement are his wife and assistant coach Babette, and Katie Roesch, who helped mostly in the junior high track program.
Rittenour has been the head coach of cross country and track programs since the 2000-01 seasons and has been involved with both for 35 years. Not bad for someone who didn’t run either sport in high school. The 1972 BHS graduate played football and baseball and was a lineman on the 1970 undefeated football team.
Rittenour’s entry into coaching running sports was the indirect result of his running for personal physical fitness.
“I just started running when I was about 25,” Rittenour said. “I had to get in shape, so I started running. I ran with Joe Klingenberger. He stopped me one day and said, ‘We need a junior high distance coach for track. Would you like to do it?’ I said, ‘I don’t know anything about coaching.’ But they talked me into it.”
Rittenour met with then BHS athletic director Jack Binnix and long-time track coach Tom Kottyan and got hired. He never imagined he’d eventually become the head coach for 21 years.
Like Carl, Babette did not run while in high school. She graduated from Colonel Crawford in 1976.
“I was only in band, and I didn’t start running until I met Carl,” Babette said. “I was 30 years old. He was running all the time and he got me into running and got me into coaching.”
Babette started coaching in 1990 by helping with junior high distance runners and long jump and with cross country. Once Carl became the varsity head coach, Babette went along with him as an assistant coach.
Roesch, a 1979 graduate of Northmor, has worn many hats during her 37 years in the Bucyrus system. She served as head volleyball coach, junior varsity basketball coach, middle school athletic director and started as a middle school throws coach.
“I was a thrower at Northmor,” Roesch said. “I actually competed in the state meet my junior year. Throws were what I knew the best. With all the clinics and things we’ve gone to, it helped in the learning process.”
Roesch has also taken advantage of technology as it has become available. She noted that YouTube has loads of videos. She would suggest certain videos and have the kids try out what they learned at practice the next day.
“That’s what’s great about track — it’s all individual,” Roesch said. “As long as you’re improving every day, every meet, it’s a win. You’re successful.”
Carl took over as head coach from Kottyan in the fall of 2000 and has directed both sports since, which is rare, especially to oversee two major programs for that length of time.
In addition to meet wins and league championships, all said they found satisfaction in helping kids as individuals.
“I think the biggest thing about working with the kids is getting confidence instilled in them that they can do it,” Rittenour said. “Teaching them work ethic will carry over into the future — self-awareness of what they can do. It’s not just about sports.”
Of course, there were high points that the coaches will always look back on.
“We had two girls’ track league champions and two girls’ cross country league champions, and we had a boys’ cross country,” Rittenour said. “Our biggest goal was to get a boys’ track championship. It’s been since 1961. We came close. We were second a couple of times. We just didn’t get over that hump.”
Rittenour also mentioned invitational wins and second places finishes and one state champion, Sarah Henize. He was proud just to have seen so many kids improve under his tutelage.
All three retirees said there would be things they would miss, but that they left open the possibility of continuing to help when called upon.
“It’s about the relationships you establish through the years,” Roesch said. “Not just with coaching but with the coaching staff and officials.”
“I won’t miss the weather,” Rittenour said, primarily in track season. “After standing out there in cold track meets, I can’t hardly move the next day.”
He also mentioned the mounds of paperwork necessary for participation, noting that each kid had 6-7 said papers to turn in. There is also coaches’ paperwork, updating concussion protocol, coaching classes for CPR and first aid.
Each coach is planning to be around the sports they love, just in a limited capacity.
“One of the positives is we all have our track license for officials for Ohio high school,” Roesch said. “Now we get to pick and choose the ones we want to work. We still get to see the kids. We just won’t have the day-to-day contact.”
“I told them if they need help with the big meets, we’d help them,” Rittenour said. “We don’t want to lose those. I started the cross country invitational with eight schools and the last one (before COVID-19) was 26 schools. It gets Bucyrus’ name out there. They make good money at that.”
Rittenour appreciated the assistance of the local Elks club with the cross country and track invitationals. He was also grateful to administrations, past and present, including ADs, principals and superintendents who allowed him to coach at his alma mater for so many years.
The program will be left in good hands, however. Another long-time assistant coach (and Carl’s son-in-law) Kevin Boggs has been named as his successor.
“The people of Bucyrus are quality people,” Roesch said, “It’s just been a pleasure and privilege to be around them all these years.”