'POP' ART TRIBUTE STUDENTS HONOR CAMPUS 'DAD'.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Charlie Hatfield stopped dead in his tracks as he walked through the front door of Chatsworth High on Thursday morning, and came face-to-face with himself. "What the heck heck interj. Used as a mild oath. n. Slang Used as an intensive: had a heck of a lot of money; was crowded as heck. [Alteration of hell. ?" the 85-year-old attendance office worker and assistant baseball coach said, taking a deep breath to fight back the emotions he was feeling. Staring stare v. stared, star·ing, stares v.intr. 1. To look directly and fixedly, often with a wide-eyed gaze. See Synonyms at gaze. 2. To be conspicuous; stand out. 3. back at Charlie were more than 150 beautiful, pastel pastel (păstĕl`), artists' medium of chalk and pigment, tempered with weak gum water and usually molded in the form of sticks; also a work done in this medium. Pastel was in use in Italy in the 15th cent. and is doubtless much older. paintings of his smiling face lining three display boards that stretched down the long hallway to the attendance office. They had been put up the night before by the graduating seniors to say thank you and goodbye to the man they call Coach Hattie. When the students were asked by humanities studies teacher Kathie Donner to choose the one person who defined the heart and soul of their school -- the man who had been like a father, grandfather and mentor Mentor, in Greek mythology Mentor (mĕn`tər, –tôr'), in Greek mythology, friend of Odysseus and tutor of Telemachus. to them over the years -- they chose Charlie Hatfield hands down. It wasn't even close. On the back of each drawing the students told him why. Charlie took a long, slow walk down the hallway, stopping to read the words. It was a good thing it was only 7 a.m. and the kids weren't in school yet because he wouldn't have wanted them to see him getting all emotional like this. He was supposed to be the strong one -- the shoulder the kids who were not doing so well in school and racking up too many absences leaned on to open up and tell him what was wrong. He never judged them, never yelled yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. at or threatened them, the words on the back of the drawings said. He just smiled and listened. Then he gave them a little heart-to-heart talk to help them out. All the things a good father does. "Your good deeds deed n. 1. Something that is carried out; an act or action. 2. A usually praiseworthy act; a feat or exploit. 3. Action or performance in general: Deeds, not words, matter most. , never ending smile, and constant love for each student never goes unnoticed," Nicholas Devian wrote. "I love you, Coach Hatfield, you have truly touched my life." "Ever since I was 14, I have admired ad·mire v. ad·mired, ad·mir·ing, ad·mires v.tr. 1. To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval. 2. To have a high opinion of; esteem or respect. 3. the way you deal with not only the baseball players, but all the kids in our school," Bobby Coyle wrote. "I am now 18, and have remembered every single thing you have done for me." Lourdes Rivas wrote, "Whenever I walk into the attendance office or just see you walking around the campus, I noticed that you are never mad. "You are a wonderful person and I may not know you personally, but I don't have to. I already know just how great you really are." And from Crystal Ramirez, "Your smile can just make someone's day. That is what I look for when I come to school, someone who has faith in students and can keep us going with just a simple hello and smile. Thank you, coach." The bell rings and the hallway begins to fill with students stopping to give Coach Hattie a hug and pat on the back. A lifelong bachelor, Charlie's never had a son or daughter of his own, but he has hundreds of former students and baseball players who will remember him today. Charlie's life reads like a resume of the old Valley. More than 30 years working at the Van Nuys General Motors plant after coming home from a 30-month hitch hitch to fasten by a knot, usually used to describe tying a horse to a post. serving with the Navy in Korea. And that was on top of 3 1/2 years serving in World War II. GM paid the bills, but it was coaching youth baseball that kept Charlie going. Baseball was Baseball WA is the governing body of baseball within Western Australia. Baseball WA is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation External Links Baseball WA Australian Baseball Federation Claxton Shield | his life, his real love. By the time Charlie retired from GM in 1986, he had already spent 28 years coaching the Sylmar High American Legion baseball American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 45 states in the USA. Purpose According to the American Legion, the purpose of American Legion Baseball is to give young men "an opportunity to develop their skills, personal fitness, team -- winning championships and accolades like this one from former major league baseball "MLB" and "Major Leagues" redirect here. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation) and Major Leagues (disambiguation). Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. player Pete Redfern, one of his players. "He's an amazing man
all the time , teaching another generation of kids how to become men," Redfern said. "He's like a father to me and so many of his former players." The praise embarrasses Charlie a little because he figures he's the one who should be thanking them. His kids have kept him alive and still vibrant at 85. "After retiring, I took a year off, but couldn't stand being away from the kids," he said Friday, finishing up the four hours he works in the attendance office five mornings a week before heading out to the baseball field for another three or four hours of helping coach the team that won this year's city championship. On Saturday, Charlie takes it easy. He just cuts the grass at the baseball field. "The kids keep me young, keep me going," he said Friday, his 85th birthday. "Most of the guys I worked with at GM didn't do anything after they retired but sit around. Most of them have passed away." Charlie's still hitting grounders, still having heart-to-heart talks with kids having problems and missing too much school. Still cutting the grass. "I've told the kids that when I finally drop to bury Bury (bĕ`rē), city (1991 pop. 60,785) and metropolitan district, NE England, located in the Manchester metropolitan area on the Irwell River and linked by canal with Bolton and Manchester. me in center field," he said, laughing. "That way I can maybe trip the other team's center fielder when he's going back to catch one of our fly balls. "Nah, I'm only kidding. That wouldn't be right." With that, the heart and soul of Chatsworth High School greeted another group of students who wanted to give him a hug, shake his hand, and say goodbye. Whether you were the star of the baseball team or the kid who cut class, it's never mattered to Charlie, and that shows. Like Bobby Coyle wrote, he treats them all the same. Like they were his kids. Happy Father's Day, Charlie. dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Chatsworth High School seniors greet coach Charlie Hatfield with scores of pastel portraits of himself Thursday. (2 -- color) Chatsworth High School baseball coach Charlie Hatfield with student Tyler Behling, 17, at school on Thursday. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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