High School Coach Fights on Despite Medical Travails

This article is reprinted with permission of the Bucks County Courier Times, located just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a story of a high school swim coaching battling difficult odds with a strong mental outlook.

By Karen Sangillo

BENSALEM, Pennsylvania, April 17. THE phrase “business as usual” had a whole new meaning for Joe Boback this past season. That's because Boback, who recently completed his 16th year as the head coach of the Holy Ghost Prep swim team, went through the entire season despite being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that commonly attacks both the upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure. But Boback, 58, who is currently on administrative leave from his full-time job with the federal government, is determined to do as much as he can for as long as he can.

“I have no plans to retire from coaching. I want to stay involved in swimming as long as I can,” he said. “I think it's good for me and I just love it so much. “I'm very fortunate that Jim Stewart, our athletic director at Holy Ghost, told me the job was mine for as long as I wanted. Not everyone would have taken a chance on me, but he was behind me all the way, and I really appreciate it.”

It was a no-brainer for Stewart to retain Boback, the man who started the Holy Ghost swim program and has been the team's only head coach.

“My first thought was how sorry I was to hear this news,” Stewart said. “My second thought was that he would own that job as long as he wanted it. Joe is as classy a gentleman as you'll ever meet, and the kids absolutely love him. He's tough, but he's fair and approachable. He has always been an asset to the program and he continues to be one. I just can't see our swim program without him. Our kids have really helped out and I'm really proud of the way our team handled this situation.”

One of Boback's biggest challenges was getting on and off the bus for meets because he uses a walker. The team rallied to support him.

“The guys helped me on and off the bus,” he said. “They were great.”

Once on the deck, it was just another day at the pool for the Firebirds.

“His personality was exactly the same as the year before,” senior captain Chaz Narwicz said. “He was so happy when we swam well, like he always was. It was no different from last year, really, except that he had a harder time getting around. When we first found out, everyone on the team was really stunned, but he didn't want it to be a big deal, so we tried to not make it one.”

Opponents and officials at home and on the road were gracious.

“Everyone was just wonderful,” Boback said. “Swimming is such a great community. I felt so much support from them.”

He glimpsed his future at an ALS walk-a-thon that he attended.

“I met a lot of other people with ALS and a lot of them were farther along than I am,” he said. “Some of them couldn't speak. That really made me think that I have to take advantage of every day that I have left. One of my daughters is getting married in the fall. I'm worried about how I'm going to dance with her, but my wife, Pat, said we'll work something out. It's the stuff like that; stuff that you used to take for granted, that you really miss doing the most.”

Boback missed just one meet this past season when his wife and daughters Amy, Kate and Christy surprised him with a family weekend in the Poconos. Other than that, he made every event except the state competition, held at Bucknell University.

“We really, really missed him at states,” Narwicz said. “It just wasn't the same.”

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