Intramural director uses experience, shape lives
Mike Lovecchio
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports
"Based on talent I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame with the best players out there," Phelan says. "But if you want to subtract stupidity, maybe not."
After signing with Kent State in 1964, Phelan went on to lead the freshman team in hitting. After losing his starting spot in his sophomore and junior seasons, Phelan fought to regain his starting job. As fate would have it, a young man by the name of Thurman Munson would be Kent State's starting catcher in 1968.
Munson, who went on to win Rookie of the Year and an MVP award with the New York Yankees, was just one of many superior athletes that Phelan surrounded himself with at Kent State. Steve Stone - 1980 Cy Young award winner for the Baltimore Orioles - was another.
Phelan remembers one story in particular about Munson, when he struck out in a conference game against Marshall University.
"He said, 'I'm going to hit the ball over that scoreboard next time' to show the pitcher that he couldn't do that," Phelansays. "His next time up, the ball went right over that scoreboard."
While a major league career never appeared for Phelan, he went on to play semi-pro baseball for several years after college. When he failed to hit .300 one season he decided to hang up his cleats for good.
Now 40 years later, Phelan's memories of Kent State are in an old black and white team portrait hanging in his office. He spent time in the oil service industry and he spent time as a high school referee, but Phelan loves the situation he's in at DBCC running the intramural sports program.
"What I'm trying to pass along to the kids here is life as I've experienced it," he said. "I've been there and I've done a lot of things."
Phelan admits that his life hasn't been perfect and he doesn't mind sharing both the positive and negative experiences with students.
"I've been in alcohol and drug rehab now for nine years," he said. "When I pass stuff like this on to the kids I feel like I have a lot of comments and knowledge about how it works, how it happened to me and how I fixed it."
Over the years Phelan has felt a growing need to offer advice to anyone that asks for it. He knows that the chances of athletes in his program entering the professional ranks are slim to none, so he uses the field as a way to transform students into adults.
"I make myself available for people who have needs for that kind of stuff," he said. "That's what I carry into this job. It's being able to honestly and sincerely take interest in the student as a student and help them in anyway I can."
After signing with Kent State in 1964, Phelan went on to lead the freshman team in hitting. After losing his starting spot in his sophomore and junior seasons, Phelan fought to regain his starting job. As fate would have it, a young man by the name of Thurman Munson would be Kent State's starting catcher in 1968.
Munson, who went on to win Rookie of the Year and an MVP award with the New York Yankees, was just one of many superior athletes that Phelan surrounded himself with at Kent State. Steve Stone - 1980 Cy Young award winner for the Baltimore Orioles - was another.
Phelan remembers one story in particular about Munson, when he struck out in a conference game against Marshall University.
"He said, 'I'm going to hit the ball over that scoreboard next time' to show the pitcher that he couldn't do that," Phelansays. "His next time up, the ball went right over that scoreboard."
While a major league career never appeared for Phelan, he went on to play semi-pro baseball for several years after college. When he failed to hit .300 one season he decided to hang up his cleats for good.
Now 40 years later, Phelan's memories of Kent State are in an old black and white team portrait hanging in his office. He spent time in the oil service industry and he spent time as a high school referee, but Phelan loves the situation he's in at DBCC running the intramural sports program.
"What I'm trying to pass along to the kids here is life as I've experienced it," he said. "I've been there and I've done a lot of things."
Phelan admits that his life hasn't been perfect and he doesn't mind sharing both the positive and negative experiences with students.
"I've been in alcohol and drug rehab now for nine years," he said. "When I pass stuff like this on to the kids I feel like I have a lot of comments and knowledge about how it works, how it happened to me and how I fixed it."
Over the years Phelan has felt a growing need to offer advice to anyone that asks for it. He knows that the chances of athletes in his program entering the professional ranks are slim to none, so he uses the field as a way to transform students into adults.
"I make myself available for people who have needs for that kind of stuff," he said. "That's what I carry into this job. It's being able to honestly and sincerely take interest in the student as a student and help them in anyway I can."
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