Fitch to honor 'Bear' at Friday's contest

Dave Patrick has served as basketball manager for a quarter of a century.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- The Austintown Schools will honor one of its most faithful volunteers Friday night during halftime of the Fitch-Boardman high school boys basketball game at the Falcons' gym.
Dave "Bear" Patrick, who has served a quarter of a century as the Fitch High boys basketball manager and as a coach for the Frank Ohl Middle School football team, will be presented a plaque to pay tribute to him for his years of service to the school.
" 'Bear' is probably one of the most dependable people I know," said Fitch athletic director Joe Nohra, who said Patrick has been a big asset to the school's athletic programs. "If you tell 'Bear' to be there, he will be there. He will be there no matter what."
Nohra said Patrick reinforces the athletic programs with his loyalty and dedication.
"He also is a constant reminder [to us] about doing things so that [we] don't forget," he said.
Coaches laud Patrick
First-year coach Roger Day also has found Patrick to be a valuable addition to the athletic program.
"[His] main asset is he just does so much," said Day.
Day said Patrick began as a basketball manager under coach Rich Denamen, and then continued in his role with subsequent coaches Tom Fender and Gary Conroy.
"It's probably 500 games that he has been there," said Day. "He takes care of the uniforms and sets out everything for our players.
"He runs the clock at practice. He knows how [the system] works and runs and we would be missing him quite a lot without him."
Conroy said Patrick gathers all the uniforms after a game, launders them at the school and lays them out for players on their lockers before the next game.
"Dave was as much a help to players as to the coaches. He did things to make our jobs easy as in taking care of equipment," said Conroy, who said he was head coach for nine years "and I didn't touch the uniforms."
Other duties
Patrick, who attended Austintown schools, also has helped out with the fifth and sixth grade basketball teams. And he also is on call for other duties such as operating the clock for girls varsity and freshman basketball games.
And he has his pet teams.
"[Patrick] is always here unless the Steelers lose," joked Day. "He is a huge Pittsburgh fan."
He also is an avid follower of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team and the Ohio State basketball team.
So if you see him with a radio to his ear, you can just about figure out that he is listening to one of those three teams.
But one of the things that Patrick most cherishes is his school attendance record.
"When I went to school, I missed only one day," he loves to say. "[And] I missed only one game."
kovach@vindy.com