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Sunday, March 23, 2025 | Evening 4:54
Paul Sapotchin grew up more than 50 years ago, respecting basketball skills in his family’s Chisuk house driveway.
When you remind about these days, Sipotchin remembered the sounds of bounce basketball and the legendary pirates with the voice of the baseball declaration, Bob Prince, with the swinging net mixing.
“My father loved pirates,” he said. “He would bring a transistor radio and sit in a chair in the courtyard. I used to shoot basketball for several hours while listening to the game. It was one of the methods that I bowed to the basketball. Once I started, I didn’t want to stop.”
The game’s dedication to the game helped her run her in a long and prominent basketball coaching career, which is still strong. He will be recognized for his efforts to join the Eli Kaski Valley Sports Hall of Fame on May 17 at the Pittsburg Schrena Center in Harmer.
“I am very enthusiastic and very honored,” said Sipotchin. “I was a good player in high school and got a scholarship in college. But I was not a good player in college, and I knew I wanted to be my senior year coach. “
The 72 -year -old Sipotun Greensburgh Salem is in his second place to coach the Basketball team. Overall, he won 470 victories while coaching in Willmington Area, River View and Greensburgh Salem.
He said, “Longevity has been my thing.” “I have continued the plugin together, and I have been lucky to have some good teams in Greensburg Salem.”
Sepotchin literally increased in Cheesk. He stood 6 feet -2 in the eighth grade.
“I will prepare my basketball from Chasuk to Spring Deal and then go to the outdoors court on school street,” he said. “I’ll be playing all my day there.”
At the Spring Dale High School, Sipotchen was developed as an excellent player. In 1971, he was selected by WKPA Radio/West Morland Cable Channel 3 Player of the Year from a group of Valley High School stars.
Sipotchin accepted a scholarship to play in the Westminster. After a college career, he decided to focus on coaching during his senior year.
“New coaches came, and I was probably good enough to make the team and play a little,” he said. “But I could not grow since the eighth grade. I saw an advertisement for a graduate assistant in a school newspaper. I cut the advertisement and took it to the coaches. He wanted to play sports, but I really wanted to start coaching and learn from them.”
Before going to the nearest Willmington Area High School to become teachers and junior versus coach, Sipotchin served as a Westminster Assistant Coach. At that time, Willmington participated in the WPIAL.
“After a season, the head coach left, and I replaced it,” Sipotchen. “At the age of 23, I was the youngest – if not the youngest – coaches in the WPIAL.”
The wife of the Sipotican, Jeanin, grew up in the Greenburg area. He decided to move from Willmington to Greensburg, Sipotchin also changed his career by teaching in real estate diagnostic business.
After a short period of time as an assistant in St. Vincent, Sipotocon sought a job coaching job in Greensburg Salem.
“When I applied, I didn’t know anyone, but people could not be good. I couldn’t, and I liked it there,” he said.
Sipotchin coached the Golden Lines since 1983-2012. His teams won seven section titles with more than 20 playoffs. In 2009, he took the Greensburg Salem to the State Championship game and was named Associated Press Class AAA Coach of the Year.
During his time in Greensburgh Salem, Sipotchin coaching his sons, Joshua and Sean. He also has a daughter, Barina.
“I was not born in Greensburgh, but I have always felt that this is my home,” he said. “This has been a special place for me.”
After the Greansburg Salem retired, the sapotochesis moved to Okumont to enable Jeanin to get closer to his job in the squirrel. Within a week, the cipotchin was asked to apply for the River View Head Coaching Position.
Sipotchin led the raids six season.
“I loved people and players in the River View,” he said. “We tried our best to create a program. We were getting better throughout the season, and then they were suffering and everything that could be wrong, went wrong. “
At that time, sepoten was also diagnosed with cancer. He stepped away from coaching while recovering. He said he is now free from cancer.
Sopotchen returned to Greensburg Salem for his second round when the head coaching job opened just before the start of the 2024-25 season. The lions marked the overall 5-17 with a 3-9 record in section 3-4A.
He said, “I am very proud of what I have done in my first period, and I am very excited to come back there.” “We started late, but now we will have a complete officer. I don’t know how good we will be in the next season, but I know we will be better.”
Whether in Greensburgh Salem, River View or Willmington, Sipotchen said his teams could be praised with three things.
“We are playing hard, we are playing a defense of human beings and will create a structure on crime,” he said.
Sipotochan is a fragile among the AK halls: she is still active in the effort that has helped her.
“I went from one of the youngest coaches of the WPIAL to the oldest,” he said with Chakl. “I have no external plan. I still love coaching and as long as Greensburgh Salem wants me to continue it.”
Tags: Greensburg Salem, River View
