Legendary NR coach returns for reunion
HONORING AN NR LEGEND — Former New Richland-Hartland teacher and coach Jim Clark, second from right in front, was honored with a reunion/open house at the Willows Sept. 13. Pictured next to Clark are Kathy Frisk and Dr. Albert Flor. Others pictured: Jim Finseth, Curt Dodge, Xan Johnson, Steve Johnson, Mike Hatle, Dennis Roesler, Dave Flor, Craig Jensen, Bill Supalla, Mark Dodge, Tom Borchard and Bob Frisk. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Reunions or open houses for former teachers or coaches are not uncommon. You hear about them all the time. They usually involve an individual who was at a particular school for a long period of time.
That’s not the case with Jim Clark.
Clark, who coached New Richland-Hartland football and baseball team for just five years in the 1960s, was honored with a reunion/open house at The Willows in New Richland on Saturday, Sept. 13. A total of 13 people turned out to share dinner with Clark and his wife, Moni, and several others showed up to share stories.
Dave Flor, a 1963 New Richland-Hartland High School graduate, organized the event.
Why?
“It’s been 50 years,” said Flor. “Jim was a legend when he was here, and he’s still a legend for all of us. He took us from the bottom of the conference in football in his five years here to the top, going undefeated his final season.”
Clark, 80, who was born in Chicago and attended the University of Michigan on a
baseball/football scholarship, is still a larger-than-life figure, with a beautiful wife and people hanging on every word as he speaks — or at least that’s the way it was at the reunion.
Clark was a young man when he came to New Richland after stops at two schools so small they’re now closed. After New Richland he went on to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he coached baseball for 13 years, including coaching former NR-H players Jeff Reese and Reid Nelson, who became an All-American and is in the UW-Stevens Point Hall of Fame. The Clarks still live in Stevens Point.
At New Richland, Clark was known for commanding respect and demanding practices.
“I have a question,” said Craig Jensen. “Was your grandmother really an All-American? You always said she could run faster than us, block better than us…”
“She was a tough Irishman,” said Clark.
Another former player brought up a baseball drill in which Clark lined players up against a wall and threw baseballs in their direction — after making them throw their gloves aside.
“After that, nothing on the field would scare you,” he said.
Al Batt presented Clark with letters and gifts from former athletes, along with an NRHEG sweatshirt.
“I want to say Hartland is still the genius behind this,” said Batt. “I wasn’t sure if they had one this big, but I called and they put some extra guys on it.”
Among other folks at the reunion were Curt Dodge, Xan Johnson, Dr. Albert Flor, Steve Johnson, Jim Finseth, Mike Hatle, Dennis Roesler, Bill Supalla, Mark Dodge, Tom Borchard, Bob Frisk and Dan Peterson.
Clark sat back and took it all in.
“I love it,” said Clark. “I love coming here. We’re all getting older.”
Clark said he was grateful for the guidance he received from school staff members at New Richland, as well as the dedication of the athletes.
“We did some things that hadn’t been done before,” he said. “Practice was a little more rigorous, but we hung in there, improved every year.”
After sharing the conference title, the football Cardinals won it in Clark’s final season.
“We had some real dedicated kids,” he said. “A lot of farm kids, a lot of hard workers.”
“It’s a miracle that it was so long ago that Jim Clark was at NRHS,” said Batt. “None of those gathered to celebrate knowing him was much more than a teenager. Those in attendance might have been a few pounds over their playing weights, but that can be easily explained. Heat makes things expand. We hadn’t put on any weight. We were victims of global warming. I remember Mr. Clark’s phy ed class. No matter what we started out doing, it evolved into a game of dodge ball. I had him for a coach. How do you know if someone had Jim Clark as a coach? He will tell you that he had Jim Clark as a coach. Behind his back, we referred to him as Mr. Clark or Coach. That was respect.”
“We were lucky to come here,” said Clark.
New Richland was lucky to have him.