Clover coach Pat Rady honored at Rosedale

Monday, December 1, 2014
Pat Rady speaks to the crowd before the Cloverdale victory while holding the commemorative basketball given to celebrate his 50 years of coaching. (Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

ROSEDALE--Just a little over 50 years ago, a fresh-faced 23 year old, pulling up to Rosedale High School with his first basketball team, took his first steps into a visiting gymnasium, one of the hundreds he would visit in the next half century.

It didn't seem likely that the steps Pat Rady took that night would be repeated again 50 years later.

A chance conversation about a canceled basketball game, however, was the catalyst for a special Saturday night in Rosedale when Cloverdale's boys' basketball team rolled into town.

In fact, one of the few people unaware that Pat Rady would be making a return to the gym where it all started was Pat Rady himself.

"They may have known before but I was not told beforehand," Rady said when asked about the game being moved to Rosedale Elementary School. "They kept it from me and finally told me that they had contacted some of the old players and that they had moved it here because this was where my coaching career started."

The surprise, which was conceived over the summer, was the brainchild of Patrick Rady and Riverton Parke athletic director and head coach Charlie Martin.

"We had talked about playing a freshman game here," Martin said. "We use this facility for lower level and elementary games.

"We were going to play a freshman game here that ended up being cancelled and after I mentioned that that game would have to be played here because the girls played the same night, Rady mentioned that this was the place where he coached his first game.

"We'd been wanting to start playing in these older gyms again and it just so happened that this game hit on the 50th anniversary of that game and this was a chance to do something for him."

The game in question was Rady's first loss as a head coach as his Bainbridge Pointers fell to the Rosedale Hotshots 67-64.

Rady said that entering the building made him flash back to that same walk in 1964.

"It was unique," Rady said. "It brought back a lot of memories of how we walked in and we were excited because it was the first game of the season and the first game I was coaching in.

"Since the sixth grade, I'd always wanted to be a basketball coach and that night, we got beat by three points and I thought it was my fault. We fouled a lot that night, too," Rady added with a laugh.

Adding to the event was the return of players and cheerleaders from both teams, one of whom reminded Rady of what he was up against in his first season as a coach.

"They had a nice ball club with a big kid by the name of Joe Huxford, who I'm sure was the leading scorer that night," Rady said. "He came by tonight and congratulated me, which I appreciated.

"He told me that he didn't realize that, playing that night, that I'd be coming here tonight still coaching. He was a heck of a shooter and that team lived up to their nickname because they were Hotshots that night."

Before the game, Rady was presented with a commemorative ball by Martin and spoke to the packed crowd inside.

Among the remarks made, Rady pointed out that the floor and the locker rooms were just the same as they were in 1964. During the speech, Rady paid homage to those who had played for him and those who set up the event.

"It was very nice what they presented to me, to honor me in this way, and I'm thankful to be in a profession where you have people like this," Rady said. "I'm humbled and very appreciative of all the players I've been around and also the community of Bainbridge who allowed me to get this career started.

"I came here with Bainbridge on November 6, 1964. I'm very humbled by it and appreciate Coach Martin and what they did tonight."

Rady also noted his wife Margaret before the game, pointing out that, the best job in the world is to be a head coach. The worst job is to be a coach's wife.

As for the game itself, an 81-39 win, Rady said that bringing his Clovers to the gym where his own journey began brought about a special feeling that not many places could duplicate.

"I'm getting goose bumps taking about this tonight and you could see them if I rolled up my sleeve," Rady said. "It means a lot to come back here and for the kids to see what's it like to play in a gym like this.

"The people are right on top of you and it's very loud. The atmosphere here brought back so many, many good memories."

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  • A well-deserved honor for Mr. Rady, who gave us so many wonderful memories from our high school days at Bainbridge High School, memories we will never forget. Thank you to Mr. Rady from your Bainbridge Pointer students!!

    -- Posted by kamare on Mon, Dec 1, 2014, at 6:44 AM
  • A much deserved honor for a wonderful man and coach.. The real winners are the many men whose lives were shaped by him.

    -- Posted by busyb623 on Mon, Dec 1, 2014, at 8:08 AM
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