John Baumgartner has dedicated 3-decade education career to building relationships

John Baumgartner has much to reflect on as he ends a 33-year career as a classroom teacher and athletic/activities director this month.

Throughout the three-plus decades of teaching and coaching, he has focused on a life lesson his college basketball coach taught him. “Build relationships with kids so in the end you can be there for them,” Baumgartner said coach Al Bortke taught him.

While his first year as a teacher was in California, the remainder of Baumgartner’s career has been in Holyoke.

With 29 years in a third grade classroom at Holyoke Elementary School and the last three years as athletic/activities director, Baumgartner said it’s just time to practice what he preaches and put family first.

He’s clear in his message that he will miss the kids and is quick to point out that he wants to keep coaching as long as he can. He serves as head high school girls basketball coach.

Baumgartner kicks off Holyoke career as a newlywed

When Baumgartner moved to Holyoke in August of 1989, it was just days after he and his wife, Jill, were married.

That fall, Jill started working at Highline Electric Association, where she is currently the billing supervisor.

John spent his own elementary school days in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved to Strasburg, North Dakota, for his junior high and high school years.

John and Jill met at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, where Jill played volleyball and John played basketball.

John earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education with coaching as a minor. His coaching minor required athletic director classes, which he ended up referring to 30 years later when he became the Holyoke JR/SR High A.D.

Baumgartner was the only male on staff in his one-year stint in Palmdale, California.

He is appreciative of the numerous male mentors at Holyoke Elementary when he first started teaching. At that time the elementary school included grades K-8.

Jim Yakel served as principal, and Baumgartner continues to hold a lot of respect for him. Other male K-8 classroom teachers in his early years in town were Jim Gribben, Harvey Eurich, Gil Konecne, Cam Fuerniss and Marty Roth.

However, for many of his 29 years at Holyoke Elementary, Baumgartner was the only male classroom teacher. He said he misses his time at the elementary school and still likes to go back at lunchtime and see the kids.

Judy Ginapp was his first co-teacher in the third grade, and Carly Daniel was the last. His longest co-teacher stints were with Bev Brown, who was also from North Dakota, and Lynn Schneider.

“I enjoyed coming to work every day with those staff members,” Baumgartner said.

Coaching is big part of career

While he doesn’t plan to give up the coaching portion of his career just yet, Baumgartner reflected on the numerous relationships built through his years as a coach.

Starting in junior high track, basketball and football, he then took on the head high school boys basketball coaching role in the 1994-95 season, working with the team for 16 straight years.

“How many coaches can say they coached their own kids and won a state championship with them?” Baumgartner queried. That happened for him with sons Ryan and Reid in 2010. And they both went on to play basketball at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska.

While coaching boys basketball, Baumgartner and his teams earned runner-up honors in 1996 and 2009.

“I’ve been blessed and humbled that people have supported me as long as they have,” he added.

Switching to girls basketball coaching, Baumgartner just finished his fifth season with the Lady Dragons, having been to state three out of the five years.

Between the boys and girls, “11 teams have taken me to state,” Baumgartner said.

“My boys tell me I’m softer in my old age,” Baumgartner said with a laugh (and a tear in his eye).

His relationships with his players — past and present —  mean a great deal to this guy who acknowledges, “I can be a fiesty guy sometimes when I’m coaching.” But his unwavering support of his teams uncovers a huge heart.

He recalls with fondness phone calls before every season that he made to his former college coach. And after the coach passed away — to the coach’s wife.

Nurturing relationships with players was taught to Baumgartner, and he passed it on when wearing the coaching hat.

Wedding and birth announcements from former players mean a great deal to Baumgartner as it emphasizes the lifelong relationships developed through coaching and teaching.

The girls basketball team turned the tables in showing emotional support for a coach in need when Baumgartner’s father’s funeral was between the district finals and regional playoffs last year.

A video sent from the team showing their encouragement for their coach and his family cemented an already strong bond.

Baumgartner watched his high school and college coaches and how tough they stayed while dealing with adversity. He patterned some of his own team-building efforts after their successful tactics in connecting with kids.

He takes pride in former players/students knowing that he’s there for them during rough patches in their lives, as well as celebratory occasions.

And he credits his wife for helping nurture those relationships through team meals in their home and other actions of support.

Having coached and taught kids, and now their kids, he said he wouldn’t trade anything for the development of those relationships.

He cited his loyal assistant coach, Chad Marin, and his former player who is now his assistant, Kyle Carper.

Humble and hungry — Baumgartner hopes he’s taught the kids to go out and do it — to be hungry for success and humble in its acceptance.

A.D. role was a good fit

Baumgartner’s move to the athletic/activities director role three years ago was unexpected. He said he was quite satisfied in his third grade classroom. But when Superintendent Kyle Stumpf gave him the opportunity to serve as A.D., he took it as a chance to help the district out.

He has always loved athletics and being involved in scheduling, so the position was a good fit. As A.D., he enjoyed expanding on his relations with area coaches as he networked with other athletic directors.

But Baumgartner acknowledges the past year has been a long, trying one. The scheduling and rescheduling required through COVID-19 and the mandates from the Colorado High School Activities Association have been challenging.

The extra effort required in limiting crowd numbers, clearing and sanitizing gyms between games, sorting game guest lists, requiring mask-wearing and more have impacted the position in a big way.

Recognizing that he spent more time at home with his family when he was coaching three sports and teaching third grade than he did this past year, Baumgartner decided it’s time to quit putting his No. 1 support system — his family — on hold.

“I have been blessed with great coaches, players and administrators. I’m leaving on my terms,” he said, adding, “maybe it’s time for a new vocation.”

He looks forward to watching son Ryan as head women’s basketball coach at Doane.

And he is especially excited about more freedom to spend time with his grandchildren in eastern Nebraska.

Ryan and his wife Deidre of Crete have a daughter, Laikynn, 9 months. Reid and wife Hanah live in Beatrice, Nebraska, with twin sons Blaine and Cale, who are 19 months old.

Anyone who knows Baumgartner knows he won’t be sitting still. He’s offered to serve as a mentor, activity supervisor, grounds­keeper or wherever he can make a difference.

“I’m not disappearing. I’ll still be around,” he said.