By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, April 5, 2009
After three regional championships in five years and turning Paradise into the biggest and most successful program in the area, Paradise powerlifting coach Kevin Pitman has decided to move on in his career.
It was a tough decision that he made weeks ago but kept it to himself until the end of the season. He gave his team the news after the state meet last weekend, and then Monday he told the rest of the boys as well as his girls team.
Pitman has built a program in the last five years that most schools envy. The Panthers have finished in the top four at regionals for five straight years and this season his girls were runners-up at the same level.
Though I just know this great coach, man and father on a professional level, I feel like I'm losing a friend. I know how much he has meant to the kids, the community and his co-workers at Paradise. He goes far beyond the call of duty to see that his kids get a little ink for their efforts in a sport most people will never watch or read about in a newspaper.
This is a man who has been in my corner the last two years that I have battled and beat obesity. Whether at a meet, on campus or at a football game, he has never failed to ask how things are going since my weight-loss surgery.
Pitman, whose large stature would intimidate anyway, carries a heavy and kind heart. He always found the right words to make me feel appreciated at events and his words automatically made me feel a little lighter on my feet. I can only imagine the effect he has had on his kids over the years.
Athletic director Danny Neighbors will not be able to find another Kevin Pitman, and his replacement will have some mammoth shoes to fill. Pitman has turned Paradise into a powerlifting haven and the success the last five years speaks for itself.
He is moving on to Ponder to lead its powerlifting program and to be a part of the football staff as the Lions begin high school football this fall. The decision was made so that the Pitmans could live closer to family in Denton and allow his talented daughter to play high school soccer. It's just more proof that coach Pitman puts others before himself.
Coach Pitman, you will be missed, and thank you for the memories.
