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Jim Werkheiser

The dream of every coach is to be able to look down their bench and be able to consistently count on the personnel sitting there. A coach needs to be able to look deep into the bench when he or she needs someone to "Step- Up" and get the job done. I am not sure how many East Stroudsburg Coaches really new how deep their benches were. The scores table, in basketball is a neutral area for both teams to report but its also the area were the valuable statistics are kept. The scorers table can be the difference to a coach's pre, post and half time speech. It can be the difference between winning, losing and developing the psyche of all players who are part of the team. It seems like Jim Werkheiser has been around forever. "I graduated from the old Tannersville High School in 1948. Of course you remember the East Stroudsburg State Teachers College predecessor to East Stroudsburg University which I graduated from in 1952". I spent from 1952 till 1954 in the US Army. My first teaching job was at the Reeder's Elementary School. I joined the East Stroudsburg Faculty in the fall of 1955. While at East Stroudsburg, "No grass grew under Jim's feet". He spent 37 years with the basketball program 6 as a coach and 31 years as a scorekeeper and statistician. Mr.Werkheiser coached 2 years as a golf coach, 5 years as a football coach, 20 years as a baseball coach and believe it or not even found time as president of the East Stroudsburg Music Boosters Club. Whew! Upon retirement in 1993 Jim continues to support his school district and continues to "Bleed Purple" and "Continues to have numbers flowing through his head", while serving on the East Stroudsburg Hall of Fame Steering Committee and the selection committees of the Athletic and Meritorious Walls of Fame. A man who could be counted and leaned on in the school and on the fields of athletics is Jim Werkheiser. Such a man is here again today to help at the scorers table and is truly deserving of the 2006 "Al Keglovits Spirit of Basketball Award".