Fit for Life Coach Baxter

Coach:  noun – Someone in charge of training an athlete or team

Although the definition is simple enough, for all of us who were lucky enough to call Robert Baxter coach it meant everything.

For us, Coach Baxter made a family out of kids who might not have anything else in common except a sport. He taught us not to just work hard to achieve our goals in sports but to apply that drive and dedication to everything we do. As the head of our family he would bring us all together, give us direction, encourage us and drive us. But most importantly, he took interest in us.  And being a family didn’t stop on the track. The night before each year’s first track meet he would take us all to Phil’s Chicken House. Because that’s what families do. They have dinner and talk and share.

Bobby went to North High where he ran track and played football. He set the record for the Low Hurdles at North and continued playing football at SUNY Cortland. His resume lists coaching track & football at BCHS where he was also a Phys. Ed. Teacher and Associate Principal, and coaching softball at Fordham University. But at the top of his resume it really should read how much he meant to all of us who called him coach.

“He was very influential in turning me into an Athlete. He was and always will have my respect for being a stand-up Coach!”  –Jim Gazda

“He convinced me to stay and finish out the school year.” – Dave Brewer