Six notable men who made their mark in area athletics and in the community were honored last night. The occasion was the 44th Annual Lakeshore All Sports Hall of Fame Enshrinement Banquet at City Limits Bar and Banquet.
Joining the local hall were Bill Dietrich, Dennis Gutman, Bob Jung, Hank Kotarek, Brent Luebke and Rob Roseff.
Roseff, better known to many as ‘Gumby’ from Gumby’s Club Fore a Cure, told Seehafer News that it was certainly not his athletic ability that earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. “The majority of my life has been dedicated to helping out different charities and groups. I think the reason I probably got elected to the Hall of Fame is just my ability to bring people together to help our community.”
Kotarek said that as he looked back on his over four decades of playing and officiating in the area, he wishes kids in 2022 would spend more time playing and less time trying to master one sport. “In our days, there were no camps. You didn’t go to camps. In the fall, you did football. In the winter, you did basketball. In the spring, you did baseball. In the summer, you ran up and down the beach having a good time. You don’t always have to go to a camp.”
Gutman hopes youth athletics helps future generations learn the importance of camaraderie and communication, something he has seen in his 50 years of being involved in Manitowoc County Youth Sports. “The fact is, people don’t communicate! They don’t know how to talk to each other. They want to be removed. That’s sad because as humans, we’re probably not much different than a wolf pack. We need to have our people in our community and be able to talk to them.”
Luebke noted that throughout his playing career as a four-sport athlete at Two Rivers Washington High School who later went on to play professional football in Europe, on into his career as a coach since then, he has learned the importance of modeling success to his young athletes. “I always try to paint this picture: if you buy in, I’ve been there. If you do it and you put forth the effort, you can get there. There are a lot of different intangibles – there’s peer pressure and a lot of different things where you’ve got to do the right thing. There are people who will guide you in that direction, but you have to gravitate towards them.”
The event’s guest speaker was Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame kicker Chester Marcol who had a decorated career but not without personal struggles.
He spoke to the crowd about his battle with addiction to pain killers, cocaine, alcohol and more, but told Seehafer News before the event that his speech was intended to inspire. “I share some of my story, that’s definitely it – and hope and motivation to do well in life and sports and everything else.”
Along with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, other awards were presented including the Al Fenlon Commitment to Excellence, given posthumously to Al Kubsch, senior college athlete winners, high school scholarship recipients and area residents who were recognized for special achievements.
The attendance at last night’s banquet was nearly 400.
