Thu, Nov 26 2009
|
Bell rang true at PV Former Laker great has gone on to success as coach at Lake Catholic KARL PEARSONStar Beacon “The toughness Mike had as a player has never left him,” Parise said. “The leadership he showed even then is still the same.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Mike went in (the coaching direction). Mike has always had the same work ethic. He’s always been willing to put in the time. He’s definitely worthy of this honor.” Cross seconds that emotion. “Mike was just a solid person, even as a junior and senior when we were trying to build our program,” he said. “Nobody had a better work ethic than Mike.” Both Cross and Parise have had the opportunity to see Bell in action as a coach, too. “Mike was a part of my staff for the North-South game when I was coaching at (Canton) McKinley,” Cross said. “I had a great time coaching with him. He taught me a number of things I didn’t even know.” “I had the opportunity to work with Mike in 2005 at Lake Catholic,” Parise said. “He has the same type of demeanor as a coach that he had as a player. I think a lot of Mike’s success is because of his determination. “The year I was there, we had a pretty fair quarterback named Ricky Stanzi (now the quarterback at Iowa). It was a lot of fun.” Bell made quite an impression on opposing coaches as a player and young assistant coach. “Mike was a fine player,” retired Grand Valley coach Jim Henson, himself a Hall of Famer, said. “But I also knew him as a coach when he was a student teacher here. I knew he’d be a good coach. “Mike was also a fine player at Hiram (Henson’s collegiate alma mater). You know, the time commitment for players at that level is almost the same as players at Ohio State, and Mike has always been willing to put in the time. “I’ve also had the chance to see Mike’s Lake Catholic teams because he brings them to our football camp at Edinboro (University, where Henson is now an assistant coach) every summer. You can tell how organized and disciplined his program is. You can also tell how much he cares about his kids.” Where it all started As much of an impact as Parise and Cross had on Bell, his father, Beau, appears to have been the biggest influence on the youngster as a coach, teacher and person. 
More from the Sports section
Erb put spice in recipe for success Experience aplenty on all-county squad |
Print this story
Post to del.icio.us
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
© 2009, Ashtabula Star Beacon
P.O. Box 2100, Ashtabula OH 44005-2100 (440) 998-2323, Send news tips and feedback 
|
Popular Business directory links - Ashtabula Apartments | Ashtabula Attorneys | Ashtabula Auto Dealers | Ashtabula Auto Parts | Ashtabula Auto Repair | Ashtabula Beauty Salons | Ashtabula Car Rental | Ashtabula Dentists | Ashtabula Doctors | Ashtabula Flowers | Ashtabula Hotels | Ashtabula Insurance | Ashtabula Loans | Ashtabula Mortgages | Ashtabula Movers | Ashtabula Pizza | Ashtabula Realtors | Ashtabula Restaurants | Ashtabula Storage | Ashtabula Tax Preparation | Ashtabula Travel | Ashtabula Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
