HAMILTON — Like most high school coaches, Harold Peetz has two jobs.
One he loves. One he needs.
Balancing the two has been difficult, but Peetz made it work, juggling his hours as a supervisor at the post office with his duties as Hamilton High School boys bowling coach.
And he would continue to make it work if it were possible, but changes at the post office forced the 45-year-old Peetz to announce this will be his last season coaching the Big Blue bowling team.
“It’s probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made,” Peetz said. “I’ve been thinking about it for most of the season, and it was very difficult for me to come to this decision.
“Because of downsizing at the post office, there’s not as many people to cover for me when I need them to,” he continued. “It’s getting harder and harder to modify my schedule in order to coach.”
Peetz is the only boys bowling coach Hamilton has ever had.
He started the program in 2001, coaching both the boys and girls programs until the 2004-05 school year, when bowling became an official Greater Miami Conference sport and Luke Crosby was hired to coach the girls.
Peetz led the Big Blue boys to back-to-back GMC championships in 2005 and 2006, winning GMC Coach of the Year in ’06. He took the team to state in 2002, ’04 and ’07, when HHS finished sixth.
“I’m really going to miss the kids and watching the progress and helping them progress,” he said. “It’s been a joy to watch them mature through high school and then come out to the adult leagues and continue to improve their scores and win tournaments.
“The group of kids I’ve got right now, it’s a young group,” he continued. “We don’t have any seniors, and there’s an unbelievable amount of potential. That was another tough part of the decision.”
Peetz said he’s open to returning to coaching if his job situation changes, and he said he likely will continue to organize the Big Blue Challenge, which takes place every December at Columbia Lanes.
Started in 2003, the event is the second oldest high school bowling tournament in Ohio.
“I really want to thank (Columbia Lanes) for everything they’ve done for our program,” Peetz said. “And especially Stevie Sams Jr., who has been instrumental in helping me since Day 1. He’s been the constant through three different owners and I can’t enough about what he’s done for the program.”
Hamilton will compete in the Division I sectional tournament at Crossgate Lanes, where Peetz will get a chance to say his goodbyes to the other coaches and competitors.
“The camaraderie in this sport is outstanding,” he said. “The other coaches, a lot of them have been around almost as long as I have, and I’m really going to miss working with them.”