When the New Prague 9th grade boys’ basketball team was without a coach this fall, Superintendent Tim Dittberner was asked by Laura Meyer, parent of 9th grade athlete, Alex, if he would help coach.
“Only if the school referendum passes”, Dittberner replied.
Well, that didn’t happen.
Two weeks after the referendum vote, the head coach for the 9th grade boys’ basketball team (a non-teacher from Burnsville), didn’t make it past the first practice. Once again, the team was without a coach, and again, Superintendent Dittberner was asked to step in. This time he said yes.
Why this time? “Things happen for a reason. Our school board fully supported this decision. I am very grateful that I can do something I love and make a difference,” Dittberner explains.
It’s not the first time Mr. Dittberner stepped onto the coaching spotlight. After graduating from Gustavus with a degree in Health and Physical Education, he’s spent over forty years as an educator, principal, coach, and administrator. According to mnbasketballhub.com, Coach Dittberner had five teams (Le Sueur, South St. Paul, and New Prague) qualify for the boys’ state basketball tournament in eighteen years as a head coach. “We won the state championship in 1986 at Le Sueur. There are current Holy Trinity members who were students of mine at that time,” he adds.
For the last twenty years of his career, Mr. Dittberner has been a part of the New Prague Area School District. First, as Middle School Principal (2003 – 2013), and assistant and head coach of boys’ high school basketball team (2009 – 2011 seasons). In 2009, Coach Dittberner began as an assistant coach with his sons on the team when the head coach, Jeff Gravon, passed away unexpectedly from a long bout with cancer. “The funeral was held at HTLC and was a very trying experience for the team,” Dittberner reflects.
The 2009 team pulled together to make it to the state tournament, and again in 2011 under Coach Dittberner’s leadership. He retired from coaching in 2011 to watch his daughter, Annie, play her final years of high school basketball. In 2013, Mr. Dittberner moved into the superintendent’s chair, and last month, announced his plan to retire at the end of this school year.
With an overall coaching record of 242-200, how did the 9th grade athletes respond to Mr. Dittberner putting on his coach whistle one last time?“They are really nice kids that come from good families – I can coach them hard – they embrace high expectations and know that I care about them getting better as a person and basketball player. They want to be coached,” he responds.
Having the district superintendent as your basketball coach comes with an added perk. “They do get the inside scoop on the possibility of a snow day,” Coach Dittberner reports.
Recently, 9th grade boys’ basketball assistant coach, Mike Bartusek took a photo of Coach Dittberner with all of the players from Holy Trinity.
Is it hard to coach athletes from your church?
“I don’t favor – but I do know all their parents. I’m probably a little harder on them than some of the other players. HTLC does grow them tall! I remember the church service when they were confirmed and thought, ‘Boy, some of them are pretty lanky and tall – good basketball builds.’ You can’t coach height!”, Coach replies.
Thank you, Tim Dittberner, for making a difference in the lives of the 9th grade boys’ basketball team this season, and for your positive influence on the New Prague Area School District over the last twenty years!
Above photo: left to right – Myles Tietz, Adam Lee, Jack Kahnke, Coach Tim Dittberner, Alex Meyer, Tyler Flicek.
Photo credit: Mike Bartusek.
Photo credit: Mike Bartusek.
Written by Karen Taylor, Communication Manager
January 12, 2023
