Paula Olejniczak talks about baseball, life with Parkinson’s disease, and supporting a legend
Originally published in Inspire(d) Magazine - http://theinspiredmedia.com/, which is a fabulous publication managed by Aryn Henning Nichols and her husband, Benji Nichols, both of whom have talents too numerous to name. They would both make me a little sick if I didn't like them so much.
A visit to the Decorah High School Varsity Baseball dugout will bring you face-to-face with dedication, longevity, grit and sheer determination.
I’m not talking about Coach Dennis Olejniczak, the second highest winning coach in the nation, whose passion for baseball has led the team to three state championships and 1,195 career wins as of press time (and counting) in his 45 years of coaching.
No, I’m speaking of his wife, Paula – official team statistician, occasional team cook, substitute mom and friend.
Those familiar with Decorah sports – or at any school, for that matter – know that coaches’ wives are frequently the unofficial support staff for many programs. But Paula’s longevity and commitment stand out. After all, though her husband has missed one game in the past 45 years, she hasn’t missed any – not even after she gave birth to her youngest daughter, Lindy.
“We were starting the State Championship tournament, so I got permission from the doctor to leave the hospital to go to the game,” she said. “I left Lindy at the hospital, and went right back after it was over.”
Paula’s love for sports began early as she was growing up in East Waterloo with her four brothers.
“My dad would play softball with us, and I loved to do that. We also used to ice skate and play tennis,” she says.
“They didn’t have girls’ athletics at my school back then, so I was a cheerleader,” she continues. “As a junior, I was the only one in my grade to make the varsity squad. I liked being a cheerleader, but the nicest thing anyone ever said to me was when one of the boys on our basketball team said, ‘Paula, Coach Weir says you can be on the boys’ basketball team if you want to. You could really help us.’ Of course, I never did anything about it, but it was a great compliment. He was a good coach and a great ball player for the University of Iowa.”
It came as no surprise that she ended up marrying an athlete. When the wiry ballplayer with the gruff voice (author’s note: this isn’t exactly true – Paula says Denny’s trademark dragging-a-galvanized-bucket-over-gravel-sounding-voice developed over time) from Tripoli came calling, Paula knew a good thing when she saw it.
“I liked to be around boys who were good in athletics, because I really enjoyed sports,” she says. “But Denny was also a good student and a nice person.”
Paula eschewed graduation from the University of Northern Iowa to marry Denny where the couple lived in Janesville for just over two years before moving to Decorah.
“I don’t regret getting married, but I do regret not getting my degree,” Paula says. “I looked into going to Luther College, but it was too expensive to consider with everything else we had going on.”
Denny started at the helm of the Decorah Baseball program that summer, and Paula immediately started “keeping the book.”
“I really enjoyed it right away,” she says, adding she brought her infant son, Lon, to the games with her, a move she repeated with all five of her kids (Leslie, Heidi, Jason and Lindy), as well as many of her grandchildren.
“I like being around the young people, and keeping the books gave me an opportunity to be part of the game,” Paula says. “It’s also a nice way to get to see my husband during a busy season.”
Paula’s eyes twinkle when she tells some of the hilarious situations that have presented themselves over the years.
“One of my favorites was when we traveled to Burlington during the summer of 1970,” she says. “Back then, we didn’t take buses to away games, we drove cars. I was driving the lead car, someone else was driving the second car, which was our personal car, and Denny drove the third car.
“Up ahead, a milk can flew out of a truck in front of me an landed in the middle of the highway,” she said. “I couldn’t swerve around it with another car coming in the oncoming lane, so I slowed down because I didn’t want to wreck the school car.”
A player told her later that at that moment, Denny said, “Why is Paula slowing down? She doesn’t need to slow down!” He promptly ran into the car in front of him, which ran into Paula’s car, totaling the vehicle.
“I was so worried about wrecking the school car, and Denny ended up wrecking all three of them,” she says with a grin. “No one was hurt, but we were late for the game. It was the only game we lost that summer.”
Paula makes good use of her time in the dugout. Many players talk of her positive influence on the game, as well as their lives.
“I try to visit with the players and tell them they’re doing okay, but sometimes they need to be a little tougher,” she says. “I try to tell them they have to believe in themselves. I tell them, ‘Don’t go up there thinking, “Oh, no – I don’t know what’s going to happen.”’ Go up there thinking, ‘I know I can get that run.’”
Paula recalls telling a young man who lived with the Olejniczak family during his junior and senior year of high school that he shouldn’t quit the football team after a rough practice.
“I told him, ‘This is not the coach’s team. This is your team. 10 to 15 years from now, everyone from your class will come back for a reunion and talk about what a great team they were and how much fun they had. If you quit, you won’t be a part of that. You need to stay out,’” Paula says. “He stayed out and had a really great season.”
In 1981, Paula’s athletic ability and natural leadership got the attention of Northeast Iowa Community College, which asked her to lead an exercise instruction course for the Adult Learning program. Paula accepted and led the exercise/aerobics group until 2000.
“We had a good time,” she says. “It kept me active and working out.”
When I asked her about her reputation as a taskmaster on the aerobics floor, she laughed and said, “I guess I’ve always been active enough that I could do it, but there were some who were just getting started and needed to walk in place. That was fine. The goal was to get out and get moving, and I kept telling the students that.”
After years of being active and taking good care of her health, Paula was concerned when she noticed a slight tremor in her hand. After researching the symptom on the Internet, she wasn’t surprised when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1996, but she was devastated.
“Intelligently, I know that being committed to taking care of myself has nothing to do with [the likelihood of getting the disease], but it is hard to accept,” she says. “It affects your brain, and that’s what’s hard. I could accept the physical part of it, but the killing of my brain is hard. They’re not coming up with [new treatments]. Some of the medication helps, but I’ve always been such a fighter, and I want something new to try. I keep thinking that I’m going to be the first person who is going to beat this thing.”
Paula admits things go a little slower for her nowadays, but she’s proud to report her doctor said she’s on the lowest doses of medication of anyone he’s treating who has had the disease this long. And she approaches each day with her typical determination – and a little sass.
“The doctor suggested that I start using a cane,” she says. “I asked him, ‘So what am I supposed to do with a cane while I’m playing tennis?’”
Paula wants to keep things as normal as possible, she says. It may take her longer to do complete some tasks, but she’s still determined to do them.
“People think if you have Parkinson’s, you can’t do anything,” she says. “But I’m going to continue to fight. I have nine grandchildren I want to see grow up.”
So Paula is keeping on – keeping her commitment to her husband, children and grandchildren; keeping her support of Decorah students; and of course, keeping score.
“It’s fun,” she says with that trademark Paula Olejniczak grin. “It’s fun to be a part of something great.”
Author’s Note: For more information on Parkinson’s disease, please visit www.mayoclinic.com. For information on how you can support research to discover additional treatments for Parkinson’s disease, visit the National Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org, or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org.
Karen Trewin is the proud wife of Pat Trewin, a Decorah High School teacher and coach. She is also privileged to call Paula Olejniczak her friend, and will always be grateful to Paula for teaching her how to support her husband’s coaching career without losing her mind, how to be a role model to her kids, how to wallpaper a kitchen with maximum “stickage,” and how grit, determination and faith are the heart of achievement.
A visit to the Decorah High School Varsity Baseball dugout will bring you face-to-face with dedication, longevity, grit and sheer determination.
I’m not talking about Coach Dennis Olejniczak, the second highest winning coach in the nation, whose passion for baseball has led the team to three state championships and 1,195 career wins as of press time (and counting) in his 45 years of coaching.
No, I’m speaking of his wife, Paula – official team statistician, occasional team cook, substitute mom and friend.
Those familiar with Decorah sports – or at any school, for that matter – know that coaches’ wives are frequently the unofficial support staff for many programs. But Paula’s longevity and commitment stand out. After all, though her husband has missed one game in the past 45 years, she hasn’t missed any – not even after she gave birth to her youngest daughter, Lindy.
“We were starting the State Championship tournament, so I got permission from the doctor to leave the hospital to go to the game,” she said. “I left Lindy at the hospital, and went right back after it was over.”
Paula’s love for sports began early as she was growing up in East Waterloo with her four brothers.
“My dad would play softball with us, and I loved to do that. We also used to ice skate and play tennis,” she says.
“They didn’t have girls’ athletics at my school back then, so I was a cheerleader,” she continues. “As a junior, I was the only one in my grade to make the varsity squad. I liked being a cheerleader, but the nicest thing anyone ever said to me was when one of the boys on our basketball team said, ‘Paula, Coach Weir says you can be on the boys’ basketball team if you want to. You could really help us.’ Of course, I never did anything about it, but it was a great compliment. He was a good coach and a great ball player for the University of Iowa.”
It came as no surprise that she ended up marrying an athlete. When the wiry ballplayer with the gruff voice (author’s note: this isn’t exactly true – Paula says Denny’s trademark dragging-a-galvanized-bucket-over-gravel-sounding-voice developed over time) from Tripoli came calling, Paula knew a good thing when she saw it.
“I liked to be around boys who were good in athletics, because I really enjoyed sports,” she says. “But Denny was also a good student and a nice person.”
Paula eschewed graduation from the University of Northern Iowa to marry Denny where the couple lived in Janesville for just over two years before moving to Decorah.
“I don’t regret getting married, but I do regret not getting my degree,” Paula says. “I looked into going to Luther College, but it was too expensive to consider with everything else we had going on.”
Denny started at the helm of the Decorah Baseball program that summer, and Paula immediately started “keeping the book.”
“I really enjoyed it right away,” she says, adding she brought her infant son, Lon, to the games with her, a move she repeated with all five of her kids (Leslie, Heidi, Jason and Lindy), as well as many of her grandchildren.
“I like being around the young people, and keeping the books gave me an opportunity to be part of the game,” Paula says. “It’s also a nice way to get to see my husband during a busy season.”
Paula’s eyes twinkle when she tells some of the hilarious situations that have presented themselves over the years.
“One of my favorites was when we traveled to Burlington during the summer of 1970,” she says. “Back then, we didn’t take buses to away games, we drove cars. I was driving the lead car, someone else was driving the second car, which was our personal car, and Denny drove the third car.
“Up ahead, a milk can flew out of a truck in front of me an landed in the middle of the highway,” she said. “I couldn’t swerve around it with another car coming in the oncoming lane, so I slowed down because I didn’t want to wreck the school car.”
A player told her later that at that moment, Denny said, “Why is Paula slowing down? She doesn’t need to slow down!” He promptly ran into the car in front of him, which ran into Paula’s car, totaling the vehicle.
“I was so worried about wrecking the school car, and Denny ended up wrecking all three of them,” she says with a grin. “No one was hurt, but we were late for the game. It was the only game we lost that summer.”
Paula makes good use of her time in the dugout. Many players talk of her positive influence on the game, as well as their lives.
“I try to visit with the players and tell them they’re doing okay, but sometimes they need to be a little tougher,” she says. “I try to tell them they have to believe in themselves. I tell them, ‘Don’t go up there thinking, “Oh, no – I don’t know what’s going to happen.”’ Go up there thinking, ‘I know I can get that run.’”
Paula recalls telling a young man who lived with the Olejniczak family during his junior and senior year of high school that he shouldn’t quit the football team after a rough practice.
“I told him, ‘This is not the coach’s team. This is your team. 10 to 15 years from now, everyone from your class will come back for a reunion and talk about what a great team they were and how much fun they had. If you quit, you won’t be a part of that. You need to stay out,’” Paula says. “He stayed out and had a really great season.”
In 1981, Paula’s athletic ability and natural leadership got the attention of Northeast Iowa Community College, which asked her to lead an exercise instruction course for the Adult Learning program. Paula accepted and led the exercise/aerobics group until 2000.
“We had a good time,” she says. “It kept me active and working out.”
When I asked her about her reputation as a taskmaster on the aerobics floor, she laughed and said, “I guess I’ve always been active enough that I could do it, but there were some who were just getting started and needed to walk in place. That was fine. The goal was to get out and get moving, and I kept telling the students that.”
After years of being active and taking good care of her health, Paula was concerned when she noticed a slight tremor in her hand. After researching the symptom on the Internet, she wasn’t surprised when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1996, but she was devastated.
“Intelligently, I know that being committed to taking care of myself has nothing to do with [the likelihood of getting the disease], but it is hard to accept,” she says. “It affects your brain, and that’s what’s hard. I could accept the physical part of it, but the killing of my brain is hard. They’re not coming up with [new treatments]. Some of the medication helps, but I’ve always been such a fighter, and I want something new to try. I keep thinking that I’m going to be the first person who is going to beat this thing.”
Paula admits things go a little slower for her nowadays, but she’s proud to report her doctor said she’s on the lowest doses of medication of anyone he’s treating who has had the disease this long. And she approaches each day with her typical determination – and a little sass.
“The doctor suggested that I start using a cane,” she says. “I asked him, ‘So what am I supposed to do with a cane while I’m playing tennis?’”
Paula wants to keep things as normal as possible, she says. It may take her longer to do complete some tasks, but she’s still determined to do them.
“People think if you have Parkinson’s, you can’t do anything,” she says. “But I’m going to continue to fight. I have nine grandchildren I want to see grow up.”
So Paula is keeping on – keeping her commitment to her husband, children and grandchildren; keeping her support of Decorah students; and of course, keeping score.
“It’s fun,” she says with that trademark Paula Olejniczak grin. “It’s fun to be a part of something great.”
Author’s Note: For more information on Parkinson’s disease, please visit www.mayoclinic.com. For information on how you can support research to discover additional treatments for Parkinson’s disease, visit the National Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org, or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org.
Karen Trewin is the proud wife of Pat Trewin, a Decorah High School teacher and coach. She is also privileged to call Paula Olejniczak her friend, and will always be grateful to Paula for teaching her how to support her husband’s coaching career without losing her mind, how to be a role model to her kids, how to wallpaper a kitchen with maximum “stickage,” and how grit, determination and faith are the heart of achievement.
What a great article KT, about a great woman. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVery nice KT
ReplyDelete