By Tom Haley
RUTLAND HERALD
When the Springfield High softball team comes to Fair Haven on April 12 for the season opener, Andy Bladyka will not be in the dugout. Pulling the strings as the coach of the Cosmos will be Tim Considine.
Bladyka is stepping away from everything — his job as Springfield recreation director in addition to being the high school softball coach.
He has been overwhelmingly successful as the Cosmos softball coach but SHS Athletic Director Rich Saypack believes that Considine is a good option.
“He comes highly recommended by the previous coaches (Bladyka and his longtime assistant Mike Langdon) and that is always a good thing,” Saypack said.
The Springfield recreation program is taking a big hit. Not only is Bladyka leaving but his assistant Keith Eno only has three more weeks on the job until he departs for Summerville, South Carolina where a new job in the area of recreation awaits him.
Bladyka’s last day with the recreation department is March 31 but he will stick around to help with the transition for long as need be.
He will also help Considine in his own transition with the softball Cosmos.
Then, it’s on to golf. And more golf.
Bladyka will be working and playing at Crown Point Country Club.
“I will be trading one passion for another,” he said.
Bob Hingston did much the same thing in Windsor, taking a position at the town’s John P. Larkin Country Cub after his stint was over as Windsor High School’s athletic director.
“I have been talking with Bob about that,” Bladyka said.
Considine dos not have varsity experience but he has been coaching teams on various level in Springfield.
Eventually, everyone moves on to write the next chapter.
Colony retires
Former Springfield radio personality Jim Colony is also retiring.
Colony once broadcast Springfield High football and basketball games over Springfield radio station WCFR.
He also broadcast a Connecticut Valley League Game of the Week in football with a lengthy pregame show called CVL Central, calling games for schools like Bellows Falls, Fall Mountain, Springfield and Stevens. But his more recent career was in Pittsburgh where he was an extremely popular sports talk host, discussing the Steel City’s professional and college sports scene.
He is retiring from full-time work but will still be filling in at the station.
Legion newsThe Lakes Region baseball team will be the host for the American Legion baseball state championship, July 27 through Aug. 1. Both Castleton University’s baseball diamond and St. Peter’s Field in Rutland will be utilized for the tournament.
Connor Hoagland will take over the position of umpire-in-chief from Joe Fisher.
Vermont American Legion Baseball Commissioner Scott Stevens said that Fisher had done an outstanding job but that the committee was overwhelmed by Hoagland’s commitment and program for training umpires.
Stevens also said that it appears Addison County will be returning to the Legion fold after a year away.
Shawn Burke will take over as the coach of the Bellows Falls Post 37 team with the idea of grooming a coach for the future.
tom.haley @rutlandherald.com
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