Mr. Aldo Stradiotti: Boys Basketball Coach, Track & Field Coach, Gym Teacher
Mr. Aldo Stradiotti was the first coach at P.S.H., and it is his enthusiasm for sports that led to a development of sporting teams to be created in the earlier years of P.S.H. Although he was hired on to be the Social Studies and Physical Education teacher, it is clear that Mr. Stradiotti’s lasting legacy was the direction in which he took the sports teams at P.S.H. during his time as a coach. Mr. Stradiotti came onto the scene as a 21-year-old teacher who had just finished his education at UBC. Prior to joining P.S.H., Mr. Stradiotti had playing sports, such as the shotput, javelin, basketball, and soccer. At UBC, Mr. Stradiotti was heavily involved with the coaches of the basketball and soccer teams and picked up many important pointers and tips from him.
It was these experiences, along with his love for sports, that made him a beloved member of the staff at P.S.H. In an interview conducted with Mr. Stradiotti in 1986, fifty years after P.S.H. was dedicated, he reflects about his days of coaching and teaching fondly. He states, “let’s face it, I was only 21 and thought I knew everything. I know now how little I knew, Everything I learned, I learned from students”.[6] This quote is a testament to his love for the students and showcases what made him such a beloved teacher. For a teacher to succeed at a school, especially a young teacher such as himself, it takes a special personality and attitude, which Mr. Stradiotti clearly had.
Mr. Stradiotti & Ms. York in 1941-42
While looking through the yearbooks and newspaper clippings of Mr. Stradiotti’s time as a coach at P.S.H., it is clear to see the impact that he had. In 1937-38, there was a boys and a girls basketball team, as well as a boys and girls track and field team [7]. The following school year, 1938-39, there was a boys softball team added to the mix. In the year after that [8], 1939-40, the softball team was removed, but boys and girls badminton teams were introduced [9]. In the following two school years, which were Mr. Stradiotti’s last two years in the school, he got the basketball teams into the Fraser Valley Basketball League and started a boys soccer team. Clearly, the love of sports from both the teacher and the students can be seen through Mr. Stradiotti’s legacy
If the creation of all these teams and programs was not testament enough to Mr. Stradiotti’s commitment to student success, his resourcefulness for equipment showed as well. As Mr. Stradiotti taught during World War II, it is probable that there were limited funds for activities like track and field, which were not directly related to the war effort. His ability to initialize these programs while under the limited budget caused by the war is impressive and shows his commitment to student success. An example of his resourcefulness can be seen when he was starting the track & field teams, where he was able to buy enough spiked track shoes to supply the team at $2.50/pair from a local member of the community, instead of the $7.00/pair they would have costed new. Furthermore, he did not have the resources to buy starting blocks for sprint races, so he had the students dig holes on their starting spots to get the muscle memory of utilizing such equipment. This commitment shows what an excellent coach that Aldo Stradiotti was, and also shows the effort required from all of those involved to run successful extracurricular activities [10].
As a final ode to Aldo Stradiotti, take note of what the students wrote to him in the 1937-38 Consamannum.
To Mr. Stradiotti, whose subjects are many –
History, Health, and Gym are his lot.
Basketball coach and track-trainer,
In all sports his help is soughtÂ
References
[6] Abbotsford, Sumas and Matsqui News, Coach Stradiotti Recalls Sheffield, April 1986.
[7] P.S.H.S. 1938 Consamannum, The Reach Gallery and Museum, 1938.
[8] P.S.H.S. 1939 Consamannum, The Reach Gallery and Museum, 1939.
[9] P.S.H.S. 1940 Consamannum, The Reach Gallery and Museum, 1940.
[10] Coach Stradiotti Recalls Sheffield.