Pine-Richland coach Paul Fetterman had impact on many

Gibsonia resident Paul Fetterman measures success by the impact he made off the field.

Fetterman, who recently retired as the spotter and game-clock operator for Pine-Richland high school football team, has had many positions throughout his life — dad, veteran, referee, scout, president and even groundskeeper.

However, there is one title that everyone knows Fetterman as: coach.

“When they come up to me 10 to 15 years later and give me a hug and say ‘coach do you remember when …’” Fetterman said. “That’s how I know I’ve been successful, to see these kids became successful in life.”

“He’s everything you want your kid to get, in terms of a coach, for their first football experience,” said Jim Slomka, who coached youth football alongside Fetterman at Pine-Richland for 10 years. “He’s just tremendous. He’s really intelligent, a great motivator and just loves the game. He has a ton of compassion for the kids.”

Fetterman got his start coaching when a friend introduced him youth football in Butler. He said he was drawn to football because of the teamwork it requires.

“To survive in the game, you have to work with the team,” Fetterman, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said. “It has to be a team spirit, a collective gathering of kids that want to work together, which I believe also helps them in future life.”

One of Paul’s six children, Charmaine Fetterman, recalls her father’s role with the Butler youth football team in the 1970s.

“The athletic room was in our basement,” Charmaine Fetterman said. “He would bring all the kids into our home in his trucks. When kids didn’t have a ride, he brought them to our house. He fed them and gave the kids whatever they needed.”

Along with coaching the youth program, Fetterman also became a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association referee for almost a decade, as well as president of the Butler Cubs Athletic Association, a non-profit group dedicated to sponsoring school sports organizations, most notably boxing.

“My dad was very passionate about youth sports,” Charmaine Fetterman said. “He played such big role in youth sports in Butler and Pine-Richland.

Fetterman moved to Pine-Richland and joined the board of directors for the Richland-Youth Foundation, known today as the Pine-Richland Youth foundation.

When his triplet sons were old enough to play sports, Fetterman got back into coaching — and became head coach of their youth football team.

“Kids seemed to enjoy the program, they put a lot of effort into it,” Fetterman said. “And we won our fair share of games, and a few championship games too.”

When another coach asked Fetterman for help coaching lacrosse, he stepped up.

“One of the first people I ever saw play lacrosse was the running back for the (Cleveland) Browns, Jim Brown,” Fetterman said. “And I thought it was a fascinating sport.”

Never having played the game did littler to deter Fetterman, who engrossed himself into lacrosse, spending hours reading and studying it.

“That’s just who Coach Fetterman is,” said Slomka. “He’s one of the most intelligent coaches, and you’ll be hard to find someone who has put the amount of time that Paul has when it comes to these kids.”

Practicing what he preached about teamwork, Fetterman found himself often filling in a variety of roles for the Pine-Richland sports teams — from sitting on board of directors to help running the concession stands, Fetterman’s role in Pine-Richland made him a hometown hero.

Michael Young, the PA announcer for Pine-Richland high school football, said Fetterman’s presence is felt throughout the PR community.

“I could walk in to the Pine-Richland field or Richmond park where the youth play,” Young said. “And there would the booming voice of Paul Fetterman over everyone else.”

Fetterman is often described as an “old school” coach for his tough love and winning mentality, which is one of the reasons he is beloved by his players.

Tyler Slomka, one of the last youth football players Fetterman coached and now a defensive back for Florida high school IMG Academy, fondly remembers his playing time with Fetterman.

“Coach Fetterman was probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Tyler said. ”He’s probably the best coach I could have asked for.”

Young, who known Fetterman for more than 20 years, understands the void that will be left with Fetterman’s retirement.

“He he made such a positive impact and you see that with these kids.” Young said. “He loved being around them, helping them and coaching. When you remember a youth coach and you’re in your 20s, that’s when you know you’ve had an impact.”