On and off the field, track coach turns students into winners By BRENDA SAVAGE Neighborhood News Group Posted October 8, 2008 RIVIERA BEACH -- All the puzzle pieces of Anton Pastuszak's life are beginning to fit together and make sense. This young man filled with grit and determination is a math teacher and the track and field coach at Inlet Grove Community High School, a predominately black school in Riviera Beach. His story reminds one of the 1993 motion picture "Cool Runnings" where a Jamaican bob sled team with a lot of creativity but little money somehow succeeded to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. With each setback, they became tougher, stronger and a better team as they met unimaginable obstacles. "People tell me I'm crazy. I could be coaching somewhere else. But I love the challenge of taking a group of kids who have no chance of ever being winners and turning them into winners," Pastuszak said. Mr. P, as his students call him, loved track and running as a boy. A self-described "nerd" who didn't fit in, he dropped out of high school before completing the requirements for his high school diploma from Palm Beach Lakes High School. He eventually went back to college to become a math teacher and coach before landing the job at Inlet Grove, formerly North Technical Education Center. In three years of coaching at Inlet Grove, Pastuszak not only started the track team, but has produced four district champions and several regional qualifiers. One student placed 5th in the state in discus throwing. It was all accomplished with an investment in a $12 discus, some homemade PVC pipe hurdles and a makeshift track of rubber mats. "Discus throwing and running hurdles are the less expensive competitions to train for," he explained. It is challenging for Pastuszak to raise money for his team's equipment needs. The school is located off the beaten path in an industrial area that has no place to host a track meet to lure supporters. There is no money in the budget for track and field activities. But Pastuszak and his team sold T-shirts, parking spaces, back packs, temporary tattoos and attempted to sell banners at the school's small football field. All that brought in about $3,900, which bought warm-up suits, uniforms, shot puts, discuses, rubber mats and PVC for the hurdles. "We don't have anything, yet we win," he said proudly of his students. "We started from scratch and built everything together." They even erected a ticket booth and a rough-looking locker room. The Inlet Grove track and field team also built a discus cage, shot put circle and dug a long jump pit. They have a place for the pole vault and the high jump, but they don't have the $12,000 each it takes for the two landing mattresses for the vault and the jump. "I have one senior who would be superb at the pole vault," he said. The costly mattresses are required for safety and insurance coverage. "We may not have the best equipment, but we have the best character," he added. "Shoes don't make the man. Man makes the shoes. It's not the PVC hurdles, but your quality as a person that counts." The track team runs on the rubber mats laid out in a straight line on a leftover piece of parking lot. For laps, they run around the small football field. They also run on the beach and at Dyer Park. Pastuszak figures the distances to make sure they are running the right lengths. For strength training, they lift homemade weights -- PVC pipe with heavy chains tied to the ends. They win not only because of their passion for track instilled by their coach, but also because of his genuine concern and encouragement for every team member. Several senior track girls known as the "Quick Chic Clique" describe him best. "He makes sure you're doing fine and doing well," said Tiffany Patterson, who competes in the 100 and 300 hurdles. "He gives us speeches about life. Coach can talk. He can really talk! Not just about track. He tells us we have to be productive in society." Pastuszak's dream is to raise $35,000 to develop his track team, which consists of both boys and girls. Anyone interested in helping the track and field team at Inlet Grove may call Inlet Grove at 881-4600 and ask for Coach P. Until that dream is realized, he'll keep instilling the sense of pride and determination that make his students winners. Just ask Anne-lie Etienne, who competes in the shot put and discus. "Coach P. shows us how to do so much with so little. He gives us a sense of pride."