By Nicole Falco
Cramergesic, an ointment like "Ben-gay" used by wrestlers, acted as the perfect catalyst to spark the former wrestlers' memories of their high school wrestling coach, Harold Earl.
More telling than the memories they shared are the lives they have been leading. Many of Earl's former wrestlers are now doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, actors, educators, journalists and more.
In recognition of the positive affect Earl had on their lives, a group of alumni have recently formed the not-for-profit Harold Earl Wrestling Foundation, Inc., in honor of their coach who died in August 1999.
Michael McKenna, a Valley Stream attorney and former Central wrestler, set up the foundation along with Jerry Seckler of Central's Class of 1956, Lawrence Silver, Stan Bishop, a former junior varsity wrestling coach who served under Earl at Central, Dan Tronolone, athletic director at Central, Joe Rodriguez and many others.
The foundation is dedicated to the enhancement and promotion of the spirit of Valley Stream wrestling, the education of students and the community on the beneficial rewards of wrestling, recognizing and supporting outstanding student-wrestlers in the form of scholarships, awards, public recognition and training support and erecting a permanent memorial in Earl's honor
To discover the reasons why Earl has forged lasting impressions on the hundreds of students he couched throughout his 32 year tenure at Central and to learn why Earl's name now lends itself to both a wrestling tournament and a foundation, spend some time talking to the wrestling alumni, now leading lives of their own, who have carried the values he instilled into both their professional and personal lives.
As wrestlers from Valley Stream's North, Central and South High Schools squared off against Mepham, Lynbrook, Lawrence, Baldwin and Oceanside High Schools, the alumni shared their impressions of a coach that many called a "second father."
"Wrestling helped me understand more about myself. Harold [Earl] loved the guys at Central. He was the epitome of what I believe an educator should be," said Seckler, a professor at Columbia University who attended Penn State University on a wrestling scholarship. "In the two or three years I wrestled at Central probably 20 or 30 kids went to college because of Harold Earl."
Dr. Elliott Friedel of the Class of '61, an orthopedic surgeon who lives in Atlantic Beach, attended Franklin Marshall College in Pennsylvania with a full scholarship thanks to his high school wrestling career.
"He encouraged everyone in terms of doing their best and trying different things...you don't just represent yourself, you represent the team and the community," Friedel said.
Earl and his ideals followed many of his wrestlers throughout their lives as they married and had children.
George Havener, of the Class of '75, now lives in New Hampshire with his family and coaches wrestling at a junior high school.
"I truly believe that what I'm sharing with the kids, I've learned from him...he was an encyclopedia of moves," Havener said.
Two of Earl's children, Jim and Richard, of the Classes of '74 and '75, respectively, said their dad would probably call all that is being done in his name a "fuss," but he would have been happy that everyone had the chance to get together.
Jim and Richard both made it to the state championships during their high school wrestling careers and attended college on a full wrestling scholarship.
"He was a wrestling coach, he wasn't a win at all costs type of guy - the kids were primary," said Richard. "He loved taking a borderline kid, a kid who never had the chance to go to college and giving him a wrestling career that he could use as a springboard to college."
Bishop said, "He was one of those teachers who truly affected many lives."
