“I” On Sports
By Ted Menswar Jr.
Nick Gabardina
RELATED POST: Remembering Nick Gabardina, Part 1
PART 2
Remembering Nick Gabardina: A COACHING ICON
SERVING MANCHESTER’S PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS, UNH, AND Saint As.
In 1956, Nick was hired by the city to both teach and coach at Manchester Central. From ‘56 through ‘59, Nick worked as an assistant with the varsity football team. Though he is best known for the years he spent coaching both football and baseball, it was his three-year stint with the Central JV hoop team that he most enjoyed.
As he put it, “That was my favorite coaching job because Varsity Coach, Dick Healy, allowed me to do what I wanted. I kept 15 kids on the squad and rotated them every five minutes during the first half then, at half-time, asked them if they wanted me to continue rotating or did they want to win. Well, we only lost 3 games while winning 13 and the only time they wanted no subs from the opening jump was when we played the JVs from Bradley. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the players they wanted to beat, it was their coach – the ‘tough-as-nails’ football mentor (who also coached the varsity baseball team to a state title) Eddie Kissell.”
UNH football was his next coaching stop where he served as a volunteer assistant offensive line coach in 1960 under legendary Chief Boston and the backfield coach was someone football fans will, no doubt, remember: Andy Mooradian. The following season he teamed up with friend and fellow assistant, Bo Dickson, as a member of the scouting team.
According to Nick, “Bo had the smartest football mind I have ever worked with, could visualize everything. He was really something!” Though he refuses to take any credit whatsoever, they certainly must have contributed something to the success of the club that year. The Wildcats went undefeated under QB Lloyd Wells of Manchester Central fame, and I have no doubt that some of their input was of definite value.
In 1963, Nick headed “West” to guide the Blue Knights’ football program. While there, he also was the field boss of varsity baseball where he experienced his greatest bout with anger while coaching. “We were playing Concord in the semifinals and the plate umpire was George Soukas. Well, with a runner on 3rd, this kid from Concord squared to bunt in a suicide squeeze and, in doing so, interfered with my catcher by blocking him from being able to catch the missed attempt.
The runner ended up scoring to tie the game and I was livid because there was no doubt that it was interference. George refused to call so I went to the base umpire, Roland St. Pierre, and he said he didn’t see it, which infuriated me even more. I was so mad I could hardly breathe and we ended up losing the ballgame. I don’t think I was ever as mad at any other time, at any other game, in any other sport, as I was in that game!” (And I definitely could see that it STILL bothered him, and it’s been more than 40 years!)
In 1972, Nick headed south to join the faculty as a member of the social studies department at Manchester Memorial and to take over the duties of head baseball coach, a title I had relinquished the previous season. He guided the Crusaders for eight years, leading them to a state championship in 1983. In Nick’s words, “That season was a remarkable one. We knew we had a good ball club, really good, one with hitting, defense and pitching.”
Speaking of pitching, I’ll wager that few readers remember perhaps the most astounding feat turned in by a member of his mound staff.
Joe Senecal threw back-to-back no-hitters, one in the quarter-finals against Winnicunnet and the other in the finals against inter-city nemesis Trinity, both sandwiched around a semi-final win over Concord pitched by tough Roger Beliveau. The feat was so profound that it landed Joe on the pages of Sports Illustrated under “Faces in the Crowd.”
In 1978, Nick did “double duty” taking over the reigns of the Saint Anselm baseball team, which, at that time, was a Fall Ball program only, no spring season. He continued to head that program for 10 years.
In 1992, Nick turned to a sport he played as a kid and really liked: fast-pitch softball, when he joined the staff of Saint A’s varsity women’s program and has remained a part of it ever since. I
THOUGHTS AFTER RETIREMENT
He reminded me of a conversation we had back in 1993, after he retired from 37 years as a classroom teacher. I had asked him what he was going to do now that his teaching career was over. He looked me square in the face and said, “Teddy, in the classroom I’ve had students who wanted to learn, who made mistakes, but still kept trying. Well, coaching is still teaching and my classroom is still the field. You know where you can always find me.”
And that’s where he’s been ever since.
However, after reminding me of that conversation, he quickly added, “I still feel the same way, but now I have “knee-monia” and “hipitis”…my knees are gone & my hips don’t work!”
SOME CHERISHED MEMORIES (AMONG THE MANY)
- Hearing Mike Pstragowski throw…that’s right, “hearing,” particularly if he was angry. “You literally couldn’t see his pitches…they were a blur. You could only hear them hit the mitt. Scary…and to opposing hitters, he certainly was.”
- Playing for Sweeney and going to the Nationals – “not to boast, but we were just that good.”
- “Teddy Gatsas (THAT Ted Gatsas, mayor of Manchester) coming to the plate in the state legion tournament in Berlin, NH. We only had to win one game to take the title, Berlin had to win 2 from us. We were down by 3 runs in the 8th inning and, as Ted came to bat, the field announcer came across the mike with the following…‘The second game will begin exactly 20 minutes after this game is completed.’ Ted was a damn good ballplayer, a real competitor, and he came up to me in the 3rd base coaching box and says ‘NO #!X% WAY! We are NOT going to play them again!’ and proceeded to hit the first pitch he got out of the park.” Nick continued..“We scored 4 or 5 runs over the next two innings, there was NO second game, and we won the tournament!”
- “Running into Mark Silverstein, who played JV hoop for me at Central, went on to Bates College to play basketball there and is now a successful businessman. As we talked about a number of things, he suddenly stopped and said ‘Coach, I just want to tell you that I never had as much fun playing basketball as I did for you’…and that really hit me. It meant that I had done my job. I taught kids the game and they had fun at the same time.”
HOW HE WISHED TO BE REMEMBERED
“Probably as a person who enjoyed being around young people in sports as well as in the classroom. I remember a comment made to me by my dad. I told him that I was bringing company home with me and he answered ‘Bring young people.’ When I said, ‘Don’t you want some people your own age?’ he said, ‘I can talk to them on the phone.’ I guess the biggest thing I’d want people to remember is that I didn’t ‘curb’ young people. Whether it was in the classroom or the field, I let them express themselves. It might have gotten a little noisy, but…Young people keep you just that…young!”
THREE WELL-DESERVED ACCOLADES
Because of his ability to correctly assess a player’s potential, at times well before others recognized it, Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds appointed him as a scout for their National League ball club.
After serving as the head coach in baseball for 10 years and as an assistant coach in softball, beginning in 1993 until he completed his mission, Saint Anselm College rewarded him for his dedication and his long and distinguished association with the school by presenting him with the prestigious Varsity “A,” the Varsity Letter of Special Merit Award in 1992.
In 2007, Nicholas A. Gabardina, who in 1961 began assisting the college in multiple capacities, as an educator, coach, recruiter, and unofficial “goodwill ambassador,” was officially inducted into the Anselmian Athletic Club Hall of Fame.
THE PROLOGUE
After I finished reading the first draft of this story to my wife, Karen (my editor), for her constructive criticism, she told me that she liked it, suggested a couple changes, and then said that it was nice to see Nick get some of the spotlight that he so much hated, but so much deserved.
Then she offered a remark that really struck me.
“You know, there are thousands of people who do great things that impact thousands of people in positive ways, but you never hear about them. Why? Because they didn’t do them to be recognized.”
When I pressed her for an explanation, she continued, “Many do them for personal reasons, perhaps someone did something for them and they just wanted to give something back. Or maybe they did it because it just made them feel good.”
And that’s when it “hit” me. That’s Nick!
He’s done so much for so many, yet always wanted to stay out of the spotlight. And my wife provided the reason: others had given much to him and he most probably wanted to give a little back because it made him feel good.
So many times I wanted to thank him, so many times I wanted to tell him (and others) what he’s done for me, so many times I wanted to tell him (and others) how he’s impacted me. Hopefully, through this story, you’ve come to see a little more clearly the Nick I know, the “Mr. G” I respect, the man I will forever remember and that it was my toughest to write because now that I had my chance, I didn’t want to screw it up! What I wanted to tell him was too important.
Speaking on behalf of the countless athletes (and students) who’ve had the good fortune to cross his path in life, the countless people whose lives he’s so dramatically impacted, though they’re only three words, they come straight from our hearts when we collectively say, “THANK YOU, NICK!”
And very importantly…“Thanks, Kay!”
ADDENDUM…
Having passed away in 2019, Nick’s basking under a brighter light now.
His online Guestbook had many entries…all appropriate, all assuring us that he’ll not be forgotten.
To be sure you’d remember him, I selected this one. Read it and you’ll understand why.
“Truly a beautiful caring man! Words like generous, loyal, gifted just begin to scratch the surface. An incredible memory, that knew many and could entertain all with a lifetime of stories and events. Mostly, I thank God that we were friends and I got a chance to meet an angel.” Donna Guimont
Beautifully said, Donna. Thank you…
Ted Menswar Jr. is a life-long resident of the Queen City and a retired member of the English Department of Memorial High School who has been involved in local sports for 70 years as a player, a coach, a mentor and a fan. He can be reached at tedmenswar@outlook.com