2015 Bellarmine Booster Hall of Fame
It is homecoming week at Bellarmine Prep. This means there are a lot of activities at the school and a lot of alumni returning. Last night I attended the 2015 Bellarmine Athletic Booster Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremony. This was the 9th Hall of Fame Ceremony that the Boosters have hosted since 1984. Fourteen new inductees were honored and welcomed into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Among those inductees were exceptional athletes, teams, and coaches.
One of those inductees was Steve Anstett. Coach Anstett had been an exceptional athlete prior to his teaching and coaching days and had already been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame as an athlete in 1988. The induction last night was for Coach Anstett’s accolades as a Bellarmine basketball coach from 1968-1995.
I was one of those fortunate enough to have been coached by Coach Anstett during my time at Bellarmine. Coach Anstett truly recognized the values and virtues attained through athletic competition transcended anything that can be taught in a classroom. This message was reaffirmed last night as I witnessed the induction of the athletes, coaches, and teams and saw how athletic competition has played an integral role in shaping and molding their lives not only during their competitive days, but beyond.
As a current assistant football coach at Bellarmine, I could not help but sit through the Ceremony and think about those players and teams that I have had the opportunity to coach. I wondered what those players might say in 10 or 15 years about the value of their athletic experience and whether their experiences would be impactful in their lives beyond the Bellarmine football program.
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden believed he never could really tell how good of a job he did as a coach until 10 or 20 years had passed after his players left his program. Winning titles and defeating opponents were never the fuel Coach Wooden used to motivate his teams. Instead, those things came as a byproduct of the values and virtues he instilled in his players. It is those same values and virtues that Coach Wooden hoped his players would take away from his program and act as a guide in all areas of life.
More than 20 years has passed since Coach Anstett last coached the Bellarmine Lions basketball program. Enough time has passed to reflect on Coach Anstett’s on the court coaching accolades and, more importantly, the influence his coaching has had on the lives of his players. Job well done Coach. Congratulations to Coach Anstett and all the others inducted into the Bellarmine Athletic Hall of Fame last night.