ROCHELLE — When Don Romes was six years old, he would go down into his basement at night and cut the bottom out of a coffee can and tack it onto the wall and shoot a tennis ball into it.
“I would play imaginary games and even write down the names of the players,” Romes said. “The game would always come down to the end and I'd shoot the free throw for the win.”
That was where Romes’ competitive spirit began. Romes is now 87, and on May 3 the community gathered at The REC Center to celebrate the longtime Rochelle resident’s 65+ year career in coaching sports, including stops at Rochelle Township High School, Steward Elementary School, Freeport Aquin and Sterling Newman. This past year, Romes coached his great-granddaughter in basketball at Steward, which may be the final stop in his decades-long coaching tenure.
Romes grew up in Keokuk, Iowa. He started his coaching and teaching career in Belle Plaine, Iowa in 1960 after college as a basketball head coach and assistant in football and track. After three years there, he moved on to Fort Dodge, Iowa to the same position for four years. After working in Nekoma in central Illinois for a short time, he came to Rochelle Township High School in 1968 as a business teacher and coach.
Over his 26 years at RTHS, Romes served as head boys basketball coach for 16 years, head football coach for two years and 10 years as the football team’s defensive coach, head tennis coach for 14 years and a few years as the sophomore baseball head coach. After his time at RTHS, Romes went on to teach and coach at Freeport Aquin and Sterling Newman for a total of 11 years.
Romes, along with Head Coach Joel Colbert, coached the RTHS football teams that were top three in the state from 1975-1978.
“Joel was a great football coach, a real good friend, and I have the utmost respect for him,” Romes said. “Rest in peace Joel.”
Romes’ basketball teams found success as well, with the 1981-1982 team finishing conference play undefeated.
“When I started coaching, everything was all about winning,” Romes said. “As years went by, I got smarter. I've been a Christian all my life and in the 1970s I became far more serious about following Christ and Bible study, which I continue to this day. That changed my view on life and gave me more wisdom. My philosophy changed to doing our very best, regardless of the score. You can't always control the score. A real winning team is a team that does its very best. You have to develop that attitude. I've been blessed to enjoy my career and to have mostly winning teams over the years.”
In the classroom, Romes taught consumer education, accounting and business math. When he was young and realized his dream was to be a coach, he knew he’d have to become a teacher.
“Once I got into the classroom, I loved it right away,” Romes said. “I was in a classroom for 46 years and enjoyed it immensely every day.”
After retiring from teaching, Romes’ grandson, Brendan, was a seventh grader at Steward Elementary School. Romes agreed to coach his team, and figured it would be for just two years while he was there. He stayed at Steward for 16 years after that. In his career, Romes has coached his son, grandsons and great granddaughter.
“It was a privilege and a blessing to be able to coach them,” Romes said. “It can be tricky, because people could assume that you'd play favorites with them. If anything, you probably go the other way and you're harder on them.”
Romes’ passion for sports has persevered throughout his entire life. In high school in Iowa he played football, basketball, baseball and tennis. To this day, he watches 2-3 sporting events per night.
After 46 years of teaching and 65+ years of coaching, Romes estimates he’s worked with 8,000-10,000 students and athletes. He’s not opposed to coaching again if the right situation presents itself. He believes the feeling would be strange to not do it next year.
Back in the 1960s, discipline was the main factor in education and coaching. Students and athletes weren’t as open to speaking and expressing themselves like they are now, Romes said. He’s enjoyed that shift and has prided himself on a balanced, “firm but fair” style.
Around his 10th year of coaching, Romes started to tell players that their priorities in life should be as follows: Their spiritual life, their family life, their education, and lastly, the sport they're playing. He thanked his late wife, Nancy, for her support over his years of coaching and for attending every game, home or away. The biggest joy of his life was his time with his children.
“Most important of all, Nancy was the example I needed, and her encouragement led me to accept Jesus as my savior.”
“When I look back, I'm most proud of the fact that I got to do what I wanted to do and enjoy myself,” Romes said. “I always told kids, 'Find something you like to do and make it your career.' I enjoy that I've gotten positive feedback as a teacher and coach. I have gotten negative feedback as well as positive, and I am smart enough to know that could be valid also. I of course have made some mistakes along the way.”
