Time Out with Kate Shipp-Roberts -- St. Helena High girls basketball head coach

Editor’s note: A different version of this story was originally published in the St. Helena Star.

Garrett Whitt: What did you learn in your first year of coaching here at St. Helena High School?

Shipp-Roberts: I think one of the biggest things I learned was that the kids want to be taught. The kids want access. They want to become better, and I want to be someone who can help them do those things regardless of if it’s on the basketball court or academics, or getting a job.

Whitt: There is a famous coach that I used to know, probably the most successful coach in college basketball history, who said I rather they call me a teacher than a coach. Do you subscribe to that theory? What is the biggest lesson that you want your kids to learn from you specifically on the basketball floor?

Shipp-Roberts: I think teacher/coach should go hand and hand., if not there’s a disconnect. I’ve always said that coaches are teachers, just occasionally we blow a whistle and might speak in a louder octave (laughing) than a traditional teacher. But I definitely want them to know that it takes hard work to get to where you want to go. Regardless if that’s to be the best basketball player, to get into a four-year college, to get a job. You have to start from the ground and work your way up. Otherwise, the reward won’t be there, and you won’t have the tools necessary to get to where you want to go as far as progression.

Whitt: Richard Hoppe (the Saints’ quarterback coach) and you are in the same position, being children of people that have coached themselves. Does that give you an advantage you take that experience into your coaching environment?

Shipp-Roberts: I think that brings a lot of positives to the game. Both my parents were coaches. My dad was a football coach. My mom was a swim coach.

Whitt: And your dad is going to coach at Justin this year, right?

Shipp-Roberts: My dad’s coaching at Justin. Let’s not remind (Saints’ athletics director) Tom Hoppe. He gets a little upset (laughing). II think seeing the relationship they both built with their student-athletes, and then coming back today and my dad and my mom both being able to coach the children of the people they coached or see them around town. It’s just something that you can never take away. Regardless of wins or losses at the end of the day I hope they remember me for something that I taught them and not necessarily the game we won.

Whitt: What is the biggest lesson you want a kid who you either teach in the classroom or teach on the basketball floor to take away from their experience with you as their coach or teacher?

Shipp-Roberts: I think not to be afraid of a challenge. So much of our society is built upon ’Oh if I can’t do it, I’m not going to try.’ So, I think you have to be OK with failing and knowing that there is success on the other side of that wall or other side of that door. It’s going to take some time I think before we reach that other side. But that’s OK. It’s about the process and the journey.

Whitt: You mentioned that your husband is going to be coaching too at the school this year. Was there any feeling about it? Or did you guys talk about it?  Or did he just come to you and say, Honey, (new Saints’ Head JV football coach) Ian (MacMillan) called me and said he needs somebody to help him with football?

Shipp-Roberts: Actually, what a lot of people don’t know is that Chris and I coached swimming together my first year at American Canyon. It was actually my mom, myself, and now my husband, and we all coached swimming together and it was the most fun time I ever had. I know he’s excited to get working back with Ian again because they coached together at American Canyon. Ian is one of his best friends. Another thing a lot of people don’t know about my husband is he originally went to school to be a teacher. H loves teaching and loves to be with kids no matter what arena it’s in. I’m just happy for him. I’m glad he’s out their coaching. It’s a family affair, the Shipp-Roberts.

Whitt: What do you think is going to be the biggest adjustment from moving up one level and having to change things around? And Coach (Darol) Smith is going to do the JV as I understand it?

Shipp-Roberts: I’m excited to have Coach Smith still stay with me through this. He was my JV coach at Napa High and just brings a wealth of knowledge. The kids absolutely adore him. I’m excited that St. Helena gets to experience and know him as well. I think the biggest challenge and change is getting the community to buy in (to the program), and see all the hard work that these kids are doing and all the hours that they are spending in the gym. We have some great kids in this program. I want to attract more great kids. I think again, everyone wants to see wins and losses, but you got to have work first. I think that’s not the most attractive thing in the world. But when it comes down to it you got to work for what you want.

Whitt: What you think is going to be the biggest challenge to take that next step and get people committed and to fully buy into the program?

Shipp-Roberts: I’m a firm believer in actions speak louder than words and we have a great group of 11, 12 girls that we had this summer, and I think other kids seeing what this group is doing and all the hard work they’re doing. It will naturally want to attract more kids. But again, that’s not without action. So that’s going to be the hard part is attracting and seeing these kids in action and seeing the work that they put in and it just be addictive.

Whitt: What’s an advantage, you are married and are at that place in your life what advantage if any can you bring to your coaching environment and your coaching style that you couldn’t before when you were single?

Shipp-Roberts: I think I’m a lot more calm now. Everyone would say baloney (smiling). But I’m going to say I’m more calm. I think I appreciate my time with my family and my husband a lot more, whereas when I was younger it was, OK let’s rack up the hours in the gym. And while being in the gym is important, I understand there is a separation, and it’s necessary. And I love that these kids want to be in the gym and want to get extra shots. I think, for everyone’s sake, there is a necessary separation; not only physically, but mentally too because you don’t want these kids to be drained come November like that’s just the peak of when we get started.

Whitt: And on the flip side, does it give you an added appreciation that you didn’t have before when you were single?

Shipp-Roberts: I get to share the game I love with my husband, and he supports me 110 percent in this crazy rollercoaster ride called basketball (laughing) and it’s something that—and especially with him coaching now—it’s something we can share together. It’s not just a one-sided thing like I’m excited to go and watch him coach again and support him and see the relationship he’s going to build with these kids and some of my students.   

Looking to keep SHHS Athlete Hall of Fame on solid ground

Preserving history can be just as important as creating it.

Just a little over a month has come and gone since the death Upvalley icon Jim Hunt, who passed away at the age of 72 on June 27, 2017.

The Napa Valley as a whole mourned his loss but also took solace as the family, specifically daughters Kim and Robin, hosted a Celebration of Life at Calistoga High on July 22. The event featured numerous speakers who celebrated what Hunt stood for as a person, coach, teacher and father.

Hunt graduated from St. Helena High in 1962. He was a three-sport star for the Saints who went on to play football at the University of California-Berkeley. Hunt coached football and taught history at Calistoga High from 1978-1984, compiling a 43-19-1 record including a CIF North Coast Section Class B title in 1978. Hunt later had the same two roles at Rancho Cotate and spent his retirement years doing research by compiling record books for St. Helena and Calistoga High.

Hunt was the chairman and founder for the St. Helena High Athletic Hall of Fame, which was established in 2013. That relationship was a perfect storm if there ever was one. In the late 2000s, St. Helena enjoyed a spike in female athletic success with names like Maddy Densberger, Missy Particelli, Jamie Marshall and Kate Wignall, to name a few, spearheading the achievements.

In the early-to-mid 2010s, the success spike shifted to the boys with the Brink brothers (Joey and Danny), Richard Hoppe, Charles Bertoli, Jack Preston, Jimmy Figueroa and Gannon Laidlaw, to name a few, leading the way.

That success kicked Hunt’s record book compiling into fifth gear and led to conversations about possibly forming the SHHS Athletic Hall of Fame, which eventually came to fruition. No more than a week after Hunt’s Celebration of Life, I find myself thinking, “Who will replace Hunt as the Upvalley historian? Who will take the reigns as St. Helena High Athletic Hall of Fame chairman?”

The latter will be much easier to find than the former. Hunt’s work as a historian deserves king size points. However, good luck finding someone that will spend so much time at the library researching the County of Napa could have charged him rent. The good news according to St. Helena High athletic director Tom Hoppe is that the St. Helena record books are up to date. The plus side that diligence is that if a student-athlete or team is remotely close to breaking a record, it just involves turning a few pages along with copying and pasting names. .

As for Hall of Fame, that part of the equation is in good hands for the time being, thanks to both Mike Werle and Hoppe, St. Helena High graduates of 1959 and 1977 respectively. In a recent email from Werle and phone call from Hoppe, both confirmed that they have been in contact with all of the present inductees and have provided information on the process. Hoppe and Werle will be accepting invitations to the Athletic Hall of Fame dinner, which is slated for Oct. 28, at the Native Sons Hall in St. Helena.

The 2017 inductees will be Attilio “Toch” Ghiringhelli (Class of 1936), Del Britton (Class of 1957), Andy Vanderschoot (Class of 1965), Kirk Mulligan (Class of 1968), Rich Lomelli (Class of 1978) and Tobe Wolf (coach).

Werle added that the neither the event nor the process of induction will undergo any major change. There are three categories someone can be inducted: athlete, coach and contributor. Without overwhelming with too much information, an athlete needed to have graduated from St. Helena High and be at least ten years removed from high school while a coach needed to have have at least five years at St. Helena High. Regardless of category, the nominee needed to have conducted themselves in ways that represented the community in a positive manner. People can nominate an inductee and present their case (included but not limited to individual achievements) to the board of directors, which decides who gets inducted.  

When yours truly was a sports reporter covering St. Helena and Calistoga from 2004-2014, I openly lobbied for both schools to start an Athletic Hall of Fame so as to recognize history. What amazed me most about Hunt’s research in terms of compiling record books and history was the sheer determination. In addition, St. Helena and Calistoga High School have been around for over 100 years, which means there were pockets of time where there was little to no information available because newspapers did not always cover school events.

Keeping the Athletic Hall of Fame prospering, however, is vitally important. Werle is taking the point position that Hunt assumed for this year, thereafter who knows. Besides Werle and Hoppe, the Board of Directors are Artie Carr, Bob Fellion, Donna McCornack, Andy Navone, Jenny Hernandez, Jane Cuneo York and Judy Michel. With Carr, Fellion, McCornack and Navone alone that group features many bright minds that are rich with St. Helena history. Werle also added that the committee may add a couple of additional members in the future.

The Athletic Hall of Fame formation has been great in that it has recognized history. Granted, the past success does not win games for the current student-athletes but it helps maintain the connection from generations past.

Here’s hoping the St. Helena High Athletic Hall of Fame continues to live long and prosper as Hunt looks down from the sky.

Time Out with Melissa Shimer -- American Canyon High athletic director

Vince D’Adamo: Be it as an administrator or coach, what have you enjoyed most about being involved in athletics?

Melissa Shimer: I have enjoyed many aspects of athletics. Specifically as an athlete participating in youth, high school and college athletics and then continuing on as a coach. Athletics has been a huge part of my life since I was young and has shaped who I have become today. I am thankful for the experiences that I had as an athlete and I appreciate the role that athletics has in a young person’s life. Being an athlete has been very rewarding but I have seen the most rewarding experiences come from coaching. I am thankful for having the experiences as a coach and realize how much impact I can have on a young person’s life in this position. I was blessed to have very positive experiences as an athlete thanks to awesome coaches, and I hope to help athletes to have similar experiences in my athletic program.

D’Adamo: It is often said that athletics and academics coexist, how much have you found that to be true?

Shimer: At the high school level, athletics and academics definitely coexist. I think it is extremely important for our young athletes to understand the importance of their education and that athletics can play a large impact on their success if their perspectives are focused correctly. There is a reason why the phrase “student-athlete” lists the “student” first - academics is definitely the priority, but that does not mean that athletics can’t be “runner up” in the eyes of students. I knew how important academics was throughout high school and college, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t also put a focus on athletics. It is important for parents, teachers, coaches and athletic directors to make sure the focus of academics is at the top of the priority list while also teaching our students-athletes that athletics can play a great role as well and hopefully keep them focused in their academics.

D’Adamo: Beyond victories and defeats, when bringing in a coach, what are common denominator qualities you seek?

Shimer: When I am searching for a coach to bring on to my staff, there are many qualities I am looking for. I am looking for an individual who is knowledgeable and skilled in the specific sport, someone who has a vested interest in the needs of the student-athlete, someone who is competitive, passionate and dedicated to our goals and purpose and someone who understands what it means to “pursue victory with honor.” Winning is something that we hope to achieve but our main purpose is to help shape our student-athletes to be better people, and I look for coaches who embrace these philosophies.

D’Adamo: From the student-athlete perspective, what life lessons do you hope they learn from sports?

Shimer: Some of the best and worst memories/lessons/experiences that I have learned in my life are from sports. That said, they have all had a huge impact in my life and on who I am today. Sport participation has helped me to learn responsibility, respect, how to compete, teamwork, dedication/commitment, and the importance of hard work. Sports have taught me that success doesn’t come without hard work... and that failure is part of the process. I hope that my athletes will be able to learn many of the lessons that I was able to but most importantly how to become better people and help prepare them for their futures.

D’Adamo: As you venture into your new position and Jill Stewart becomes NVUSD athletic director, what have you learned most from Jill?

Shimer: I have known Jill since May of 2012 and have learned many great things from her in these past 5 years. But one of the most important things that I have learned from her is the role and impact that athletics can have on a student-athletes’ life and how we as coaches can’t take that for granted. Jill has shown me the importance of self-reflection, honesty and personal growth and how crucial these factors are in becoming a better coach. Coaches ask their athletes every day to practice and improve to be better than they were the day before, and Jill was constantly reminding me to do the same as a coach.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Shimer: My parents have been extremely supportive of my athletic participation. attending almost every game from 3rd grade to my senior year of college. I could not have been successful if it wasn't for them and their support. My twin sister, Jessica and younger sister Krista have also been extremely influential in my athletic life. I had the pleasure of competing with both of them through high school and college, with Jessica and I playing/competing together all the way to senior year at University of the Pacific playing water polo. It was great having sisters who played the same sports because we could support each other and push each other to be better. I definitely would not have been as successful as I was if it weren't for my sisters pushing me, supporting me and drowning me every day all while helping me to be better.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Shimer: It would probably be a tie between Vince Lombardi and Pat Summit because of their phenomenal ability to make a positive impact in their athletes lives. I appreciate what both have done for the coaching world and how they have been such great role models for coaches all over. Their sport and coaching philosophies are what every coach out there should model and prioritize.

My favorite quote is one from Vince Lombardi:

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

Time Out with Erin McKee -- 1999 Vintage High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Erin McKee: Being a part of a team and navigating the ups and downs of competitive sports together, coping with losing and celebrating winning. Having a support system.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

McKee: Interestingly enough, I haven't pitched since high school. I went to UCSC. Since sports, particularly softball, was a huge piece of who I was growing up, college was about finding my identity separate from sports. I have worked in the wine industry in Napa since 2003 but still love sports. I am a huge Giants fan.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?

McKee: Harris Nussbaum, Psychology teacher, has always been such a good soul. I think about him often when trying to offer a gentle approach to leading by example in my professional life.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?

McKee: My most memorable moment was after our last game at Vintage. I sat across from my catcher Bryna McCulley, on the mound, she on the plate and realized this was our last time playing on that field. Seems like a lifetime ago.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

McKee: I've grown tremendously since high school. Being a part of organized sports helped keep me grounded during a time when that's really tough, high school. Team organization, working as a team, is easily applied to my role in my job today.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

McKee: My entire family. My father, Gary McKee. He was my pitching coach. He taught me everything and I owe my coordination to his genetics! My mom,Teresa McKee is equally influential. Now that I'm married and have my own child, I understand the importance of a supportive spouse and mother. My mom was at every game, often keeping score. She was the backbone. My sister, Andrea (McKee) Reder was also a pitcher and I always looked up to her as my big sister and she was an incredibly talented pitcher.

Time Out with Mike Odell -- Vintage High assistant coach

Vince D’Adamo: Whether as a student-athlete at Vintage or as a coach at Vintage, what keeps you coming back to athletics every season?

Mike Odell: I think having been a student-athlete at Vintage and now currently coaching, the camaraderie and the competitiveness whether it is with kids or coaches is what keeps me coming back year after year.  

D’Adamo: Though assistant coaches are not the first ones people think of, what do you believe their role is in terms of player development on and off the field?

Odell: I think the assistant coaches jobs are extremely important to fulfill the vision of the head coach. Assistant coaches know their kids the best as they spend the most time with them throughout the week in their individual positions. While at practice they develop a relationship with the kids on a personal level so that off the field the assistant coaches can lead the kids in the most positive ways they can.

D’Adamo: Even if high school is the pinnacle of a youngster's sports career, how much do you believe they grow as adults as a result of competing in athletics?

Odell: For me, one example that comes to my mind in my life is that I have worked at a job for 26 years and have never been late. I really feel that was from playing high school sports. It was always unacceptable to be late to practice and/or games.  It has stuck with me into my adult life. The expectations that kids have with sports as youth hopefully leads to being responsible adults, even if it means just showing up to work on time.

D’Adamo: On the football side, you have seen a number of coaches at Vintage come and go, how is it now to be part of the journey with someone you grew up with like Dylan Leach?

Odell: I have been lucky to have coached under some good head coaches but being with Dylan, he is a true Vintage guy. I had the opportunity to play with Dylan in high school and when I first started coaching, he was a great mentor, and now being able to coordinate under him is truly an honor.

D’Adamo: Besides the Xs and Os of coaching, how important is it to relate to youngsters as people?

Odell: I think it is extremely important to be able to relate to the kids. I would hope that the kids in this new generation help to keep me young. I feel like I have a good relationship with kids and hopefully I won't lose touch with them as they move onto their adult lives.  

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Odell: I would have to say it would be my mom. She never missed any of my games as a kid and she has not missed very many of the games I coach or the games my kids have played in. She is very supportive of me and my family and she will never not tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not.  

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Odell: I have had a lot of positive people in my life, not necessarily what you would call historical figures, that I would love to sit down and have dinner with all together. They would include Little League coach Mel Araldi, my Babe Ruth coach Stan Herring, my high school Principal Tom Prescott, my high school assistant principal Gary Gerhardt, freshman football coach Bill Leach, football coach Bill Nunes, my basketball coaches Eric Zaidel and Wayne Grapes, and my American Legion baseball coaches Damon Neidlinger and Rich Anderson, and long-time friend/mentor Pete Santora. These people are why this interview is taking place.  To me they are historical figures in my world.

Time Out with Trent Stoppello -- 1991 Justin-Siena High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: Whether as a student-athlete at Napa or Justin-Siena or being involved in coaching, what keeps you coming back to athletics every season?

Trent Stoppello: The love of the game, the competition, the strategies, the mental toughness and heart. Watching kids work hard and achieve things even they
didn't know they were capable of is what keeps me coming back.

D’Adamo: Though assistant coaches are not the first ones people think of, what do you believe their role is in terms of player development on and off the field?

Stoppello: As an assistant coach, my role was to develop players and be their biggest fan when they succeed and be their support when they fail. It was my responsibility to establish a bond between myself and the players so that they could respect and trust me, this allowed them to believe in the coaching and broke down any barriers which in turn allowed them to achieve greater success.  

There is no better feeling than having an old player walk up shake my hand before every practice or game I would look them in the eye, shake their hand and say hello. It was my way of  saying thank you for showing up. They all thought it to be strange at first but by the end of the season they would come shake my hand and say “Hi, Coach.”  These kids don't realize that I actually probably got more out of coaching them than they of me.

D’Adamo: Even if high school is the pinnacle of a youngster's sports career, how much do you believe they grow as adults as a result of competing in athletics?

Stoppello: Athletics teaches so many life lessons on and off the field regardless of how far they advance. Sports provides so many maturing elements at all levels. It is truly amazing to watch it unfold and be a part of it.

D’Adamo: How much do you believe being involved in athletics as a youngster has shaped you personally and professionally as an adult?  

Stoppello: I firmly believe that participating in high school sports for me has provided me with lifelong skills that I continue to utilize daily in my adult life. I learned to be a team player working together to achieve a goal or task. I learned how to make quick decisions. I learned camaraderie, loyalty, responsibility, discipline, hard work pays off, and that if I wanted to keep playing I had to stay out of trouble. All because of
sports. I am pretty confident that if needed, any of my former teammates would be there for me if I ever called on them and I would do the same without hesitation.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Stoppello: My Uncle Jon. He taught me gratitude and humility. He was diagnosed with MS and was a quadriplegic, he never once complained he always was grateful and humble through it all.  If he could be all of those things while facing life altering diversity then how could I not do the same.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.  

Stoppello: Abraham Lincoln.

Holy Toledo as Bill King gets overdue recognition

Last most every Bay Area sports fan over the age of 30, I thought, “Holy Toledo!” when legendary sports broadcaster Bill King died at the age of 78 in October of 2005.

King, who was famous for the aforementioned phrase, is still missed dearly to this day.

So why are thoughts still conjured up about King less than 12 years after his passing? For openers, he is getting some long overdue recognition. King will be honored posthumously Saturday at the baseball Hall of Fame with the presentation of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence. Kathleen Lowenthal (his step-daughter) will give the speech.

King was the radio voice of the Oakland Athletics for 25 years (1981–2005), the longest tenure of any A's announcer since the team's games were first broadcast in Philadelphia in 1938, as well as the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Oakland (later Los Angeles) Raiders and the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors. Earlier in his career, he had been a member of the San Francisco Giants with Russ Hodges and Simmons.

King’s moment of honor comes on the same day that Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez will be inducted as players. Former front office executive John Schuerholz and former MLB Bud Selig will also be inducted. The thought of the self-righteous Selig being inducted makes me vomit in my mouth but I digress.

The Bay Area has had many great sportscasters from Lon Simmons, Hank Greenwald, Jon Miller, Ted Robinson, Joe Starkey and Greg Papa to name more than a few. None, however, had a style that was comparable to King.

As one with a degree in broadcasting who later went on to an 18-year career as a sports writer, I have found that whether in writing or broadcasting, there are many different styles but one is not necessarily better than the other. Look no further than the pairing of John Madden and Pat Summerall as CBS and later FOX’s No. 1 tandem. You had a matter of fact play-by-play man in Summerall and a bombastic color commentator in Madden.

As for King, you would have to look long and hard to find a more all-encompassing broadcaster who personified Bay Area lifestyle and carried the unique vibe of King. Look no further than the handlebar mustache coupled with the Dick Van Dyke beard.

What made King unique as a broadcaster was that he was like an artist that needed a blank canvas because he painted a picture for those listening to a game that they couldn’t see. It made you feel like you were at the game. Most of all, it was his word usage that made the picture he painted so unique. When broadcasting Super Bowl XII in the Raiders 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings, King described a Ken Stabler to Dave Casper touchdown pass as, “Jasicha Heifetz never played a violin with more dexterity than Kenny Stabler is playing the Minnesota Vikings at Rose Bowl Stadium this afternoon in Pasadena.”

On the infamous Holy Roller that allowed the Raiders to beat the San Diego Chargers, “The ball, flipped forward, is loose! A wild scramble, two seconds on the clock...Casper grabbing the ball...it is ruled a fumble...Casper has recovered in the end zone!! The Oakland Raiders have scored on the most zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play! Madden is on the field. He wants to know if it's real. They said yes, get your big butt out of here! He does! There's nothing real in the world anymore! The Raiders have won the football game! The Chargers....they don't believe it. Fifty-two thousand people are stunned. This one will be relived forever!”

I could give endless examples but in the interest of space, I’ll decide otherwise. What is most impressive is that King broadcast three sports that required a much different style. Basketball is played at a frenetic pace, it’s like shifting between fourth and fifth gear. In football, though there are stoppages of play, the style of broadcast is still emotion driven. Though baseball has its moments that tend itself to conveying emotion, you have to be as much of a storyteller as you do describing how Carney Lansford charged a slow-hit ground ball, fielded it cleanly and fired a strike to Mark McGwire for the out.

In fact, if there is a football or basketball equivalent to the award King is posthumously receiving, he deserves that notoriety as well.

King is probably at a broadcast booth in the sky exclaiming, “Holy Toledo!” as we speak.