History

TCCA celebrating 50 years of honoring area athletes

They happened nearly 50 years ago, but Bob Terlecky remembers the nights like they were yesterday. 

Terlecky is one of the longest-tenured members of the Trumbull County Coaches Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018.

The TCCA was formed in 1968, and Terlecky, a former assistant football coach in the area, joined in 1972. They had meetings every Monday at Alberini’s Restaurant back then.

“I remember when I first started, Monday nights we had our meetings, and you’d get home at 2 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “We’d go upstairs and watch the Monday Night Football game, and everybody would be sitting around listening to the old guys tell stories about what it was like back in the old days. It was a lot of fun. Guys like Nappy (Tony Napolet), Al Carrino, Joe Rich and Andy Pike. They could sit and tell you stories all night, and it was just fun sitting around listening.”

A non-profit organization, the TCCA recognizes Trumbull County athletes in all sports. It started out focused on basketball and football, but over the last two decades has included all sports of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Awards are given to coaches and athletes in each sport. It also honors the area’s best players in basketball and football, handing out TCCA Player of the Year awards in both sports. The basketball award was first handed out in 1988, and football in 1975. The TCCA has been around to honor some of the area’s greatest athletes.

“There have been some tremendous young men and young ladies come through this area,” said TCCA President Bill Bogan, a longtime basketball coach in the area.

“(They’ve) gone on to athletic careers, whether it’s taken them through college or into a professional rank of some type. From the 1980s until today, I’ve been in this area, and there have just been athlete upon athlete — in every kind of sport.

“You look out there today, and we’ve got kids playing professional football, professional baseball. We’ve got (men and) ladies playing overseas, playing professional basketball. We’ve got kids in all sports, of all types, from all schools doing some tremendous things.”

Bogan took over for Jim Pappada two years ago after Pappada, a longtime football coach, spent nearly 20 years as president.

Jim and his brother Dave are both longtime members of the TCCA and are now on the executive board. The current officers are Craig Giesy (vice president), George Gulgas (treasurer) and Josh Upshire (recording secretary). There’s also a 17-person executive board.

Bogan said many of the members have been loyal to the organization for decades, and their diligence is what keeps it moving forward. He felt an obligation to take a larger role after admiring their long-term dedication.

“The Pappadas and those guys that are on the executive board, they have been willingly giving for so many years that Craig Giesy, Josh Upshire and myself just thought it was time to allow those gentlemen a break,” Bogan said. “They’d given of themselves for quite some time and many years, and we felt it was their time to take a break and just support the organization rather than have the responsibility of running it.”

Aside from handing out awards to coaches and players, as well as putting on all-star events like the Frank Bubba Classic (basketball) and Jack Arvin Classic (football), the TCCA also gives annual scholarships and has been for nearly 30 years.

Terlecky, a longtime treasurer of the TCCA now on the executive board, said he estimates they’ve given student-athletes around $100,000 in all (the scholarships given are generally between $3,000 and $4,000).

It’s all part of helping the youth of Trumbull County prosper.

“The quality of the young people who come out of this area is what really impresses me the most,” said Bogan, a 1981 Badger High School graduate. “They’re hard-working kids. They’re good kids. They come from great families. They’ve come from great towns with great backings. That’s what I really enjoy.”

jsimon@tribtoday.com