The
Winning Ways of Joe Nastasi
If
you're a baby boomer and sports enthusiast and reside in west-central
Pennsylvania, chances are you are aware of the athletic
accomplishments of the Joe Nastasi family. From Barnesboro's
Northern Cambria High School, Joe and his twin brother Tony are well
known as part of a state champion basketball team that put that
school district on the map in the mid-sixties. Both were fiery
competitors who were known to give their all in multiple sports, from
tennis to football and basketball. Joe later added to his accolades
when he played football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
He
extended his competitive attributes well beyond his playing days too.
He went on to successfully coach both basketball and football at
Northern Bedford where he earned the reputation as a give-it-your-all
winner. If you played under Coach Nastasi, you came away not only a
better athlete, you came away a better person, too.
Inheriting
good genes
Later
on, Joe's son's Joe Jr. and A.J. continued the tradition,
accumulating laurels that earned huge notoriety for the Northern
Bedford County School District. Joe Jr. won the Small School State
Football Player of the Year Award and A.J. set the State Career
Scoring Record in Basketball for the state of Pennsylvania. Joe went
on to start as a wide receiver at Penn State and even served a stint
at the professional level. A.J. started as a wide-out too, at West
Virginia. Both sons enjoyed stellar sports careers.
Passing
on the athletic attributes again, seemed inevitable. Joe Sr.'s
grandsons, Joe Nastasi III at State College High School and Dominic
Dodson at Pittsburgh Central Catholic are both standouts in football.
Their schools are PIAA 6A football powerhouses.
But
there's more to the man
Athletics
aside – there's much more to Joe Nastasi's make up that the public
may not know. Next to my dad and father-in-law, no one assisted me
more than he did when it came time to build my house in the late
seventies. He was here, learning with me as we proceeded along (with
other friends and family), turning raw lumber and blueprints into the
home where my wife and I raised our kids and where we still reside
today.
I
recall one day when I arrived at the building site on a June morning
and Joe was nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later, after he parked
his car, I noticed he had a bad limp as he hobbled toward me. I soon
learned that he was on-site earlier and had tramped on a nail that
went straight through his sneaker and into his foot. He drove
himself to Doc Bulger's in New Enterprise where Doc plucked the
rubber parts of the shoe sole from the wound and gave Joe a
precautionary tetanus shot too. He continued to work that day,
limping the entire time.
In
recent years I experienced some major health set-backs, and during my
hospital and re-hab stays, Joe was volunteering again here at our
home. He let our dog out, ran errands and cut our grass, as needed
when neither my wife (tending to her husband) nor I were able.
Just
this month, Joe added yet another act to his lengthy list of labor
assists . When we realized we would have a rough time downing some
trees in our yard, Joe was quick to volunteer with his chainsaw and
pickup truck, lending a hand as he has done so many times before.
His firewood lies here today, to be picked up as promised whenever he
wants.
My
sweetie...
If
you have an account on facebook, you might have noticed a joking
reference between Joe and me. We may call each other “Sweetie” at
times. Before any rumors get started, please allow me to explain.
A
few years ago, Joe and I were chatting on the phone. He asked me a
question that I could not answer without first consulting my wife.
Now, keep in mind, she was glued to an episode of NCIS, starring Mark
Harmon. [Editor's note: I can't help but believe that my wife, her
mother, and numerous other ladies hold the beyond-handsome star in
high regard. If my wife does not have such a crush on Harmon, then
I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, as she apparently was merely
mesmerized with the episode's plot.]
So,
while on the phone, I said to Joe, “Hold on for a second and I'll
ask Terri.”
Moving
the phone away from my face, I tried to get her attention.
“Sweetie,” I proclaimed. No answer.
With
increasing decibels I repeated, “Sweetie.” Still, no answer.
This
went on a number of times with my voice increasing in intensity each
time. Finally, almost shrieking, I bellowed out another, “SWEETIE!!”
She
glanced at me with a startled look on her face (apparently able to
break away from Harmon's “kavorka”) and retorted in an equally
intense manner, “WHAT?”
Then
I asked, “Didn't you hear me the first five times I tried to get
your attention?”
She
replied, “Yes, but I thought you were talking to Joe.”
And
from that day on, because my poor wife thought I was referring to Joe
as my sweetie, that reference has become a joke between our two
families.
To
those that know him
You
may think of Joe Nastasi as a fiery, competitive athlete, or as a
dedicated coach. Or, maybe you can identify him as a man always
willing to lend others a helping hand. If you're lucky, you may even
know him to be a real sweetie at times, as he's often been to me, and
of course to his lovely wife Rena and their family. In any event,
there's one thing for certain – he is a winner in all that life
embraces.