UPON FURTHER REVIEW: BIRMINGHAM'S TRUE PATRIOT AS RETIRED COACH, SINK'S TIES TO HIS BELOVED SCHOOL REMAIN STRONG.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Nearly 40 years later, the juices still flow, the nerves still get frazzled and the heart still beats a little faster for Wayne Sink the night before a Birmingham High of Lake Balboa football game.

Sink no longer has ego attached to the Patriots' fortunes. He gave up coaching Birmingham sports in 2000 after 37 years of roaming football sidelines and fidgeting around in baseball dugouts.

But his devotion and care never has wavered, which is why he continues to work part time at the school two years after retiring, and why he still donates his spare time to the football program.

And yes, that's why the night before the Patriots opened the 2002 season against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks on Friday, Sink was a nervous wreck.

``It's 3 a.m., and I'm wide awake thinking about the game,'' Sink said Friday. ``Some things never change.''

Not when it comes to Sink's love for the school to which he's devoted 39 years of his life. He arrived at Birmingham in 1963 to teach physical education and coach the junior varsity football team. During the next three decades, he coached varsity baseball and football - assisting the 1963 City Championship team - while guiding and nurturing thousands of youngsters, some of whom eventually would return years later to watch their own children play for Sink.

Despite retiring two years ago, Sink comes around campus to serve a number of different roles, spending his mornings cruising around in a golf cart making sure students get to class, then returning in the afternoon to help Patriots coach Ed Croson and the football team.

On game night, Sink is in charge of equipment maintenance and sideline patrol.

``All I'm trying to do is allow Ed and his staff to concentrate on coaching the game,'' Sink said. ``Anything I can do to help them keep their focus on that, that's what I try to do.''

Sink's impact is subtle yet invaluable.

The other day, Croson returned to school and wandered into a newly remodeled equipment room after Sink decided it needed updating.

``He put new shelves up, organized everything, cleaned out boxes and got rid of stuff we didn't need anymore,'' Croson said. ``Guys like Wayne Sink, you can't even begin to understand what they mean to a school, because what they do comes from the heart. And I've been at enough schools over the years that I know the Wayne Sinks are few and far between.''

The Birmingham players notice.

``And all he ever asks for is a thank you,'' Birmingham wide receiver Chad Green said. ``Some people do things and they've got their hand out waiting for something in return. Mr. Sink, he does things because he cares, not because he wants something back. And trust me, as players, we see that and we appreciate it.''

Sink, who played football and baseball at Occidental College, is touched by the kind words, although doesn't consider himself anything special. The way he sees it, he's just a guy who caught the teaching bug from his mother and decided to make it his career.

``Even when I was a kid, I was the one organizing the neighborhood street games making sure everyone knew where to be and what to do,'' said Sink, who attended Glendale High. ``So I guess I always knew teaching and coaching was something I'd want to do.''

Though he never set out to stay in one place for so long, Sink fell in love with Birmingham soon after arriving and decided to make it his permanent home. He and his wife live in the same house they bought 30 years ago, the one in which they raised their three sons.

``And we are very, very thankful for that,'' said former Patriots athletic directory Lou Ramirez, like Sink a longtime presence at Birmingham. Ramirez came to Birmingham 10 years before Sink, and just like his good friend, Ramirez remains heavily involved even though he retired a few years ago.

``It gets in your blood,'' Sink said. ``I've always enjoyed working with kids, and that's what this is all about. I still enjoy the relationships, and I still enjoy the satisfaction of seeing kids develop.''

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Devotion has John Sink working part time with the Birmingham football team even after retiring.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer