In 2017, the New Haven girls track and field team won the second team state championship in school history. Coaches John Tucker, Mike Hagedorn, Josh Hoener, Aaron Peirick, and Jake Witthaus are the ones who pushed these girls every day to do their best and the ones who led them to this state championship.
However, the 2017 coaching staff is going to be one coach short this year. Coach Aaron Peirick is leaving the track and field team after four years and is now going to help his high school best friend and former teammate, Coach Jordan Willimann, coach the boys baseball team this spring. These two coaches together won the only baseball state championship in 2007.
When asked about how he felt leaving track and field and what impact this transfer would have on both teams, Coach Peirick said, “I enjoyed coaching track and working with the coaches and athletes every day. I learned a lot in those 4 years and had a lot of fun too. It’s not like I was looking for a reason to leave. As a school-wide coaching staff member, this is just what we needed right now.”
He continued: “The thing that I dislike the most about leaving track is that I feel like I formed some pretty strong relationships, both with the other track coaches and track athletes at the middle school and high school levels. I’m not super excited about leaving those relationships, but it’s also not like I won’t still see those people most days. I’m not going to lie though, having those first few weekends in May opened up is kind of cool.”
Coach Peirick also stated, “I think that track will keep on steam-rolling straight ahead like they have been for the last few years. The coaches and athletes on that team are too good to let something like this bother them. The biggest hole I leave for them is that they don’t have their walking sunscreen dispenser anymore. So they’re going to have to figure that out.”
“I hope my impact on joining the baseball team is positive,” explains Coach Peirick. “I think that what I’m lacking in baseball coaching experience I can make up for with energy and enthusiasm. I just plan on doing whatever Coach Willimann needs me to do and fill in the gaps. I really plan on learning a lot this first year. I don’t even know what I don’t know right now. I was lucky enough to play for Coach Scheer in high school, so I have a solid background in what baseball fundamentals look like and how the game should be played. I think that I remember enough Coach Scheer one-liners that I can at least sound like I know what I’m doing. Hopefully I can teach those guys a few things and be good enough help that Coach Willimann keeps me around for a while.”
Coach Aaron Peirick left impacts on the track and field athletes that he coached and will be missed by them and all of the coaches. Now, the new question arising is if anyone will be taking Coach Peirick’s position on this team.