This year is a big change in spring sports with new coaches will be running both track and baseball. All coaches look to start a program and get team on the right track right after Spring Break.

After the retirement of Darrell Newkirk as track coach, the school found the new track coaches down the hall.

Before coming to Paoli, the new track coach Scott Gudorf threw on the track team for coach Brian Balsmeyer at Jasper and then went on to throw at University of Southern Indiana for one year. Gudorf has also coached track at Dubois Middle School and coached junior high track here at PHS for three years.

Gudorf has high hopes for the track program in the upcoming years.

“I think our track program here has the potential to be very competitive, we just need the numbers.  It is hard to compete for team wins when you do not have athletes in events,” said Gudorf.

There are also new aspects of Varsity coaching that Gudorf is beginning to see.

“The high school athletes really want to improve.  When I was coaching in middle school the kids worked to just make the coaches happy.  Now the guys are working hard to improve themselves.  There will also be much more paperwork than in middle school too,” said Gudorf.

Assisting Gudorf will be junior high resource teacher, Tyler Galloway. Galloway has helped coach Varsity track at Paoli for two years.

Galloway looks to progress the kids in their events while learning, more about each event.

“My ambitions for track this year are to become more knowledgeable in each event. This will allow me to be a more versatile coach,” said Galloway. “I want my athletes to trust my abilities as a coach and to lean on me for guidance whenever needed. Each day is an opportunity to make an impact in someone’s life. I want to continue to support my athletes in their dreams, and goals in life. They are my main priority.”

Galloway agrees with Gudorf on the upcoming season.

“I have nothing but high hopes for the track program at Paoli in the upcoming years. I hope to take a track team from Paoli to Indiana University for a state title one day soon,” said Galloway.

Another sport seeing new leadership is baseball with coach Duane Higgs. Higgs was the JV coach at Bloomington South for five years and also helps run a travel baseball program called Demand Command.

Higgs has a lot of experience in baseball in many aspects of the game.

“I have been involved in baseball for 24 years as a player, umpire and coach.  Through all these experiences I have gained knowledge for the game, understanding of the student-athletes and how to relate the game of baseball to the game of life,” said Higgs.

So far in his time at Paoli, Higgs has enjoyed PHS and looks forward to the upcoming years in baseball.

“The upcoming years are looking bright at Paoli.  With the right work ethic and dedication we will build good baseball players and good student-athletes who will go on and be successful in their respective futures,” said Higgs.

As for this year, Higgs plans to set the tone on behavior, grades, work ethic and accountability.

“If we can take care of these things which we control as individuals and as a team we will be just fine,” said Higgs.

There will also be challenges to taking over the baseball program at Paoli. But, Higgs is ready for the challenge.

“The biggest challenge and the best part of the year will be watching the team grow together and become a unit.  Every player will have a role and watching them develop into whatever role I ask of them, that will translate to team success will be fun to watch,” said Higgs.

With the new coaches in place, all Paoli spring sports are on track to have yet another great season of athletics.

Story By Garret Vincent