Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press
By Kerry Monaco
Feb 9, 2015 3:42 PM
Feb 11, 2015 3:14 PM
By Kerry Monaco
Feb 9, 2015 3:42 PM
Feb 11, 2015 3:14 PM
It’s simple word association: Paul Bass and wrestling.
And now the Westhampton Beach High School varsity wrestling coach’s lifelong dedication to the sport is being recognized in a big way, with his induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Coach Bass, who surpassed the 250 wins mark during the 2014 season, received a letter in the mail last May notifying him of his upcoming induction. His reaction? Shock.
“I had just lost my dad in February, and [wife] Kim and the boys were away, and I cried because I couldn’t share it with him—I had no one to share it with,” said coach Bass, a social studies teacher for three decades and a varsity wrestling coach for a quarter of a century at his alma mater.
He continued, “I’m extremely humbled, because I don’t think that I am somebody who should be getting something at this level. I have made a lot of mistakes. I have made a lot of enemies. I have ruffled a lot of feathers over the years. I am not a politically correct guy. I’m never satisfied, I’m always stretching for better.
“It’s good, but it’s also bad. Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy it. I have a hard time doing that.”
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And now the Westhampton Beach High School varsity wrestling coach’s lifelong dedication to the sport is being recognized in a big way, with his induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Coach Bass, who surpassed the 250 wins mark during the 2014 season, received a letter in the mail last May notifying him of his upcoming induction. His reaction? Shock.
“I had just lost my dad in February, and [wife] Kim and the boys were away, and I cried because I couldn’t share it with him—I had no one to share it with,” said coach Bass, a social studies teacher for three decades and a varsity wrestling coach for a quarter of a century at his alma mater.
He continued, “I’m extremely humbled, because I don’t think that I am somebody who should be getting something at this level. I have made a lot of mistakes. I have made a lot of enemies. I have ruffled a lot of feathers over the years. I am not a politically correct guy. I’m never satisfied, I’m always stretching for better.
“It’s good, but it’s also bad. Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy it. I have a hard time doing that.”
READ MORE
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