(Audubon) Steve Dvorak has taught and coached in Audubon for three decades. Many of those years have been spent at the youth and junior high levels.
Dvorak admits he had visions of working at the high school level and being a head coach when he started out, but he ended up finding a better fit for him. “When I first started in Audubon I did high school girls basketball and was an assistant in baseball, but I kind of got into junior high and youth programs of little league baseball and little kids basketball and it just clicked with me. Working with young kids you can see progress and the improvements from practice to practice or year to year that I just loved. The look you got from the kids of the appreciation for taking time to work with them was something I never would have imagined when I first started and I just love it. It’s been great working with younger kids.”
He’s a junior high basketball and track coach, who just gave up his junior high football role. Dvorak is thankful that parents and fans in Audubon let him be himself. “I’m not a quiet coach. As somebody earlier in my career they said, ‘He’s very passionate.’ If you went to a little kids basketball came you heard me all the time. I was screaming I guess. I wasn’t yelling at the kids bad things or anything I was just coaching them on the floor. I could tell people from other towns they did not like me. They were like ‘Sit down coach and all this stuff.’ They were kind of getting on my case, but the kids and parents that I had were always supporting. They were like ‘He’s coaching, we want him to push our kids to do the best that they can.’ It’s been a joy.”
He’s had that passion ever since his days growing up in Melvin where coach Roger Tasler had a big impact on him. He’s not just a coach in Audubon, but he runs the scoreboard, does the PA, and does it all for the kids. “It’s hard to explain. I would hate to get to a point where I’m not involved in anything, because that energy you get from the kids is just overwhelming.” Dvorak says, “That’s kind of what makes your life worth living is the fun stuff that you can do.”
Dvorak has taught and coached in Audubon for 30 years. It’s the only district he’s ever worked for. The opening was for high school algebra which is not what he intended to teach. “I went into it and I was like ‘I don’t know why I applied for it,’ but you apply for everything because you want a job. I got the job that day and man, everything has just worked out so well for me.”
Dvorak recalls he and Randy Spies being called Fire and Ice in their early days because of their differing demeanors. Dvorak did have a crack at a head coaching gig in baseball at Audubon, but has certainly come to terms with where his strength lie. “I was a head coach here for a few years and I wasn’t a good head coach. I was better at supporting or helping somebody. It turns out I found my niche. When I found out working with younger kids worked out so well I was just grateful that I found what I thought I was passionate for and it worked out well for me.”
https://soundcloud.com/hyoach/steve-dvorak-why-i-coach
Previous Coaches
(Click to listen)
John Kesselring, Adair-Casey alum
Eric Maassen, (AHST grad) Sheldon
Jerome Hoegh, Atlantic grad (West Sioux)
Gaylord Schelling, Atlantic and Tri-Center
Dick Strittmatter, Atlantic native
Chad Klein, Audubon Native (Kuemper Catholic and Boone)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Monte Riebhoff)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Steve Ahrendsen)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Scott Weber)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Curt Mace)
Jason Mehrhoff, Anita Native (Carlisle)
Eric Hjelle, Elk Horn-Kimballton grad (Underwood)
Warren Watson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Chris Stimson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Scott Yates, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jan Jensen, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum
Seth Poldberg, EH-K grad and Guthrie Center coach
Marc Bierbaum, Griswold grad and Iowa Western track/cross country assistant
Trevor Gipple, (Griswold grad) SW Valley
Curt Schulte, Harlan graduate (Glenwood)
Angie Spangenberg, Harlan and Red Oak
Eric Stein (Harlan grad) Iowa Central
Darrell Burmeister, Nodaway Valley
Lanny Kliefoth, Nodaway Valley
Chad Harder, (Walnut Grad) Tri-Center
