Staying active

Though resigned from coaching the Comets boys basketball team, Todd Forsyth is far from retiring

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

For clarification’s sake, is Todd Forsyth’s official title at Charles City High School “athletic director” or “activities director”?

“I guess it depends on who you ask,” Forsyth said. “Not only am I in charge of scheduling and staffing athletic events, but my responsibilities include other extracurricular activities such as drama and choir.”

Forsyth has been the athletic/activities director for eight years with his duties recently expanded to encompass grades 7 through 12. He’s also a business teacher at the school instructing a variety of courses including entrepreneurship.

But the 52-year-old Charles City native will no longer be the Comets boys basketball coach as he announced his decision to resign from the position early last week.

“I’ve been thinking about stepping down for a couple of years,” he said. “But just because I’m resigning doesn’t mean I’m retiring.

“I have a lot of roles at the school which tend to pull on me in a lot of directions. And things would get really hectic during the basketball season. This will allow me to spend more time in other areas, and to be able to work more closely with other coaches.”

In the wake of his decision, Forsyth has experienced feelings of relief — “Because I finally followed through with it” — as well as bouts of sadness.

“It’s a lifestyle,” he said. “When you coach basketball, it becomes a critical piece of your life. My family (wife Lisa, daughters Kelsey and Riley, son Trey) has always been supportive and couldn’t have done this without them.

“Even after my son graduated from the program (2013), my wife still came to the games. So have a lot of former players and students.”

Forsyth wasn’t even at legal drinking age when he first started coaching basketball.

“It was at St. John’s Middle School in Waterloo,” Forsyth said of his first coaching job at 20 years old.

From there, he moved on to coach at CAL Latimer, then to Northwood-Kensett before returning to his alma mater in 1993 to take over the Comets’ program.

There, Forsyth was reunited with his former basketball coach, Ron Turner.

“He served as my assistant as well as my mentor,” Forsyth said of Turner. “He taught me how to listen and how to stay positive no matter what the situation.

“I mean we could be in the middle of a 10-game losing streak and Ron would always find something positive that we could build from.”

Turner served as Forsyth’s assistant until he died unexpectedly in November of 2014 due to complications from surgery after a sudden brief illness. He was 67.

“I wouldn’t say Ron no longer being around to serve as my right-hand man is one of the reasons I’m stepping down,” Forsyth said. “I have benefitted from other excellent assistant coaches since Ron has been gone.

“But I’ll always remember the things I’ve learned from Ron.”

Forsyth confided with his assistants and his family before making the decision. Then he announced it to his players.

“Some of them were surprised,” he said. “They probably thought with me being here for so long that I would never leave.”

Forsyth has won more than 200 wins during his career, but said he has never sought milestone victories.

“To me, the relationships you build with your players while helping them to grow as people are more important than wins and loses,” Forsyth said.

In terms of wins and loses, Charles City’s heyday under Forsyth came in the early 2000s when the Comets were regional and sub-state finalists, and were graced with two Division 1-bound players: David Rottinghaus, who went on to play for Wyoming; and Greg Brunner, who went on to star for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“One of the games I best remember coaching was one where I basically didn’t do much coaching,” Forsyth said of when the No. 4-ranked Comets — with Rottinghaus and Brunner — hosted No. 2-ranked Forest City during the 1999-2000 season.

“They also had a couple of Division I players,” Forsyth said. “To see a basketball game with so much talent on the floor in a small town gym like Charles City was something special. There were so many dunks … 3-point shots … great defensive plays, and the gym was packed.

“We won by 8 or so, but I was more than a fan than a coach.”

As athletic/activities director, Forsyth will obviously play a major part in finding his successor.

“We’ve already gotten a great response with some excellent candidates to choose from,” Forsyth said. “Hopefully, by the next school board meeting we will be able to make a recommendation.”

Forsyth said that he has received an outpouring of support after his decision was made public.

“It was nice to hear from so many people who I got to know through basketball,” Forsyth said.

When pressed if there is a possibility of him returning to the bench, Forsyth said that it would be unlikely. He will continue to preside over open gym sessions, which will soon utilize the new middle school gym.

“The hardest part of coaching basketball comes down to choosing the five guys you’re going to start the game with,” Forsyth said. “You can only play that many at a time, and not everyone is going to be happy sitting the bench after putting in so much hard work.

“That’s why forming relationships with you players is so important. You’ve got to make them believe that everyone on the team has a special role.”