Rounding third, headed home

Mike Popio started his baseball career in Youngstown, and this is where he'll finish it.
Once a Chaney High Cowboy, always a Cowboy.
In a time when people are anxious to leave the towns in which they grew up, Popio is a perfect example of the ones who are rewarded for staying.
Popio, a 1976 Chaney High graduate, spent the past 14 years as the head coach of the varsity baseball team.
And he wouldn't trade it for anything -- except for his family, that is.
Decisions
After 332 games (a 224-108 record), three 20-win seasons and a City Series sweep of 14 titles, Popio is leaving one of the area's most tradition-rich baseball programs.
For good reason.
"For 23 years I've been coaching everybody else's kids," said Popio, 45. "It's time to give [my kids] my attention."
Popio and his wife, Martha, have three children -- Michael (age 13), Celeste (12) and Danny (10). Michael and Danny are involved in athletics, and Popio plans to be there through their development.
"I'd be blinking and they'll have been in and out of high school," Popio said of his kids, "and I'll have missed all that time."
Popio had given his baseball team an indication after last season that he may step down, but he didn't fully commit to resigning.
After the summer, Popio was still undecided. Then fall came, and still he was undecided. He had placed his attention on the Chaney football team, for which he serves as the defensive coordinator.
"When football was over, I had to make a decision," he said. "My point was, why juggle it one more time and miss more time?"
Then, he had the answer to one of the hardest decisions he's ever had to make.
"When it's February, and pitchers and catchers start, it'll be tough," Popio said. "But I'm excited about the opportunity to spend more time with my family."
Setting the standard
The late Bob Garcar coached Chaney to back-to-back state appearances during Popio's junior and senior seasons. Garcar instilled the motivation into Popio, then a catcher, early.
"He set the standard at Chaney," Popio said. "He was my coach, and I wanted an opportunity to try and better the teacher."
Popio played at Youngstown State under Dom Rosselli, earned his education degree and began teaching. He coached with Matt Giambattista at Ursuline -- winning a state title in 1988 -- before coming home.
Because the Chaney program means so much to Popio, he hopes to be involved in the hiring process of his successor. The Cowboys went 21-6 last season and return seven starters.
"I hope it's somebody who has a strong background in baseball, who is committed to the kids and making them better people," Popio said.
"One of the things I tried to stress was discipline and commitment to develop the teamwork."
Along the way, Popio made a number of friends in the coaching fraternity, including Wayne Zetts, Steve Rohan, Scott Knox, Dave Smercansky and Jess Hall.
Then, there's his own players.
"I'm just thankful for all the young men I had an opportunity to coach," Popio said. "You couldn't have a good program without good kids."
The future
Popio, a physical education teacher at West Elementary in Youngstown, is uncertain whether he'll ever step back into the high school baseball coaching scene.
"Lord only knows what the future holds," he said. "You just have to take it day by day, year by year."
For now, though, Popio chooses family. He's rounded third and is headed home.
And this time, he's staying.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write him at richesson@vindy.com.