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Ravenna teacher honored with national wrestling coach award

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June 9, 2009

 

By Colin McEwen

Record-Courier staff writer

Ravenna High School art teacher Tadaaki Hatta has pinned down just about every dream he could imagine during his 50-year career in wrestling.

As a coach of the USA Wrestling national women’s team, he was unable to bring home the success he wanted last summer in the Beijing Olympics, however he was recognized recently as USA Wrestling’s coach of the year.

While attending the national wrestling conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Hatta was presented the award much to his surprise.

“When I got there, I didn’t know,” said Hatta, who has been an art teacher in Ravenna since 1978. “I was pleased, because it’s my peers voting. I feel the time and effort and paid off.”

After his father revolutionized the sport in Japan nearly 80 years ago, Hatta has spent most of his life around wrestling. 

He began wrestling in the 10th grade, and won the Japanese national championship in high school. 

In college in 1965, he was a NCAA champion, and placed third in 1966. 

Then he began coaching.

Hatta’s wrestling career is stocked with credentials that include being a member of coaching staff with the U.S. women’s team in Athens in 2004; U.S. Olympic men’s freestyle wrestling team in 1988, 1992 and 1996; the Japanese Olympic team in 1968 and 1984; and the 1972 Mexican Olympic team.

At next year’s World Championships, he said he will probably take a seat in the stands as a spectator.

“I feel like all the time I’ve spent, I feel like I’ve been rewarded,” Hatta said. 

His Olympic team last summer took an overall third place — however, there are no team medals at the Olympics for women’s wrestling. And coaches never receive medals.

Nonetheless, Hatta said the most recent distinction as a coach felt rewarding.

“It was my first one and will probably be my last one, too,” he said. “I feel very happy to accept this award. It’s like someone is telling me I’ve done well — a job well done.”

“If you stick around long enough, you’ll get something.”

 




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 6 Total Comments
6.
    Posted by 5ofus June 10, 2009
I'm sure coaching the olympic team takes a lot of his time. It would be great to have him work with the Ravenna boys wrestling team.

5.
    Posted by sugbear721 June 9, 2009
44444, I felt that way also, I know he was involved for a short time a long while back, but he would have been a great asset for their program. I have never understood that.

4.
    Posted by 44444 June 9, 2009
Mr. Hatta definitely deserves this recognition. I went to his wrestling camp around 1981 or so. There were only about 14 of us in attendance back then, but it was an eye opening experience that set me up for a great high school career. You'd think Ravenna would have utilized him in their wrestling program, but I guess he wasn't good enough for them... Congratulations, a job very well done.

3.
    Posted by J-Man June 9, 2009
Stories like these need more publicity, seems like all you hear about are the bad teachers and bad school systems. I didn't even know Ravenna had such an accomplished teacher on their staff. Congrats!

2.
    Posted by sugbear721 June 9, 2009
I couldn't agree more, marroos. Congratulations coach, well done!

1.
    Posted by marroos1 June 9, 2009
way to go .. job well done .. you are a great guy and you deserved it ...

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