Check out the new prep photo gallery
By Contra Costa Times Prep Sports Staff
Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 2:37 pm in Basketball, Ben Enos, Boys Soccer, Girls soccer, wrestling.
Before we get all geeked over the spring season, take a minute to look back at the winter sports photos taken over the past week. And yes, wrestling takes center stage this week in the photo gallery (major props go to photographer Anda Chu of the Argus, who worked his butt off to get a bunch of good shots on Saturday at Mission San Jose).
Prep sports photo gallery brought to you by the BANG-EB photo and multimedia staff
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
February 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I am in Coeur d’Alene Idaho. Our high school is Coeur d’Alene High. Last year we hired a coach from Nortern Ca (Danville) he claims to have been a coach at De LeSalle High and a prominenet baeballplayer for the local area. His name is Chris Stangel. Recently this man has caused much turmoil with integrity issues and some are wondering if his resume was genuine. He has rubbed MANY parents and locals the wrong way and comes off as a jerk. He used to be a police officer in 2 diffrent areas in Nor-Cal. Any responses would be appreciated.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I am from Nor Cal. Yes, Mr. Stangel did attend De La Salle High. He was a good pitcher and went on to pitch for St. Mary’s College in Moraga. The SF Giants signed him to a minor league contract. He played there several years, before leaving. He then coached at DLS and the local junior college, Diablo Valley College. He was also VERY active in the local little leagues - San Ramon, San Ramon Valley, and Danville.
He also has served as a police officer in two different departments, Sausalito and the Contra Costa County Sheriff.
Any other questions?
February 28th, 2008 at 1:29 am
I also am familiar with Mr. Stangel. Yes, he pitched for De La Salle High, and also at St. Mary’s College. I don’t believe he was drafted, but did sign a minor league contract. I am not aware of him playing above the single A level. I am not aware of him being a paid coach at either De La Salle or Diablo Valley College, but he may have done some volunteer work at both places. He has coached little league baseball and softball, and was a police officer in good standing in the Bay Area. He can certainly come across as abrasive to some, but he is basically a good guy. Obviously, I haven’t seen his resume or know what the integrity issues are, but it sounds like there is some truth to the portions of the resume mentioned by the original poster. He is a baseball guy, as one would expect from anyone who would name their daughter Casey Stangel.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Was he in the police department long enough to retire or was there other issues.
February 28th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Don’t know why he left. I just heard through the grapevine after he left that he had moved to I guess it was Idaho. I think he had some wealth in the family and was pretty much retired, and got out of the Bay Area right before the decline in housing prices.
March 6th, 2008 at 10:35 am
He has a successful business career before deciding to become a police officer. He got his training at Los Medanos College, and then went to work for Sausalito for a few years before joining the Contra Costa Sheriff Dept. He quickly rose from the ranks there. All Sheriffs are supposed to spend two years MINIMUM in the jail, but he got into patrol VERY early. He also got a “piece of cake” job in San Ramon, one of the easiest places to be an officer in the East Bay. He also rose quickly within the force there before suddenly leaving. I do not know the reason he left, but he definitely was not there long enough for any early retirement money. My understanding is that the money comes from his wife, who has some high powered job.
I think you might be seeing symptoms of yet another dot-com era burnout. It’s so very easy to talk a good game, but delivering are very different things. In the Bay Area, its expected you deliver about half of what you say… I know in small towns in Idaho, the play doesn’t work.
His star definitely burns the brightest early, but fizzles long term.
Why the interest in his background????
March 7th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Did your son play for him Nor Cal Guy? Any experience as a parent of one of his players?
March 9th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I have not had a kid play for him, nor would I particularly want to.
March 12th, 2008 at 12:56 am
My kids never played for Chris, but I have seen his act plenty of times.
There seems always to be a group that LOVE him passionately (the Minority) and a LARGE, vocal group that HATE him passionately…
I am not sure what you are experiencing, but I imagine you might consider yourself in the LARGE group….
Interestingly, when I ask my kids about what their friends think about him… the kids really seem to like him for the most part. Isn’t that what its all about?
March 16th, 2008 at 6:55 am
The kids do like him. And I guess we are in the minority for one reason. I think he is a blow hard, and talks a big show because his ego needs it. Again, my opinion. But hwe isn’t hired to be the guy I like, he was hired to coach baseball. So thats where I stand. I feel sorry for him actually. He seems to have never learned how to “play well with others”.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:03 am
I am involved in the sports community in Coeur d’Alene and have had many meetings with Coach Stangel and have nothing but good things to say about the man. I have witnessed many acts by him that make me proud to have my kids be future Viking baseball players. I hear a lot of gossip and negative things about him but nobody seems to have any concrete evidence or specific act that he has done to warrant this abuse. I think the Coeur d’Alene community needs to get over the fact that a local boy was not chosen to get the head coaching job and Stangel was. Do you guys have nothing better to do?
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
I appreciate all the info you have all posted, but is there anyone from the Bay area that has had an actual “experience” with Stangel coaching their kid? Would like some info from those parents if possible.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Chris’ father Jack, died a few weeks ago. For anyone who knows him in the Bay Area or in Idhao…a major fixture in his life and in his families. I would like to think that perhaps the feeding frenzy would die as well. Leave him alone…play ball…or not. But for heavens sake, lets keep things in perspective please.
Thank you.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:58 am
This is to anyone who has Chris Stangel as a coach for their child, I just sent this to him, this comes from my 16 year old sophmore and was written for an English assignment. Anyone who has the GREAT FORTUNE of having this man come into their childs life and coach them should just sit back, get out of his way and let the man do his job and thank our Lord that they have been given the opportunity. By the way, this is the first time I have ever taken the time to read one of these formats but Chris is one thing my family is passionate about. FYI My child went from a 1.24 GPA to over 3.0 and we give most of the credit to the values and integrity instilled in him by Coaches Chris Stangel and his High School Coach Bill Piona.
Hobbies
by Steven Kohlman
This is my life and one hobby, that hobby is baseball, hopefully to become a professional eventually.
It all started when I was five years old in Canyon Creek Little League and my dad was the head coach of the Braves. I was the starting catcher and batted clean up. I wasn’t that good back then, I only started because my dad was the head coach. But it was fun none the less. When I moved to Danville in 2002 I joined the Danville Little League and played for the Yankees and played catcher still but I was still just an average player. The next season was a transforming season for me and I took my game to another level and them some. I met my hero and mentor coach Chris Stangel. He showed me things about the game that not many knew. I went from an ok base hitter, number 2 slap hitter to a big strong 4 spot hitter with 7 homeruns and leading the league in hits per at bats. I stayed with Coach Stangel for the next 3 years and learned a lot. If he did anything, he made me find the love and passion for this game.
I played some travel ball for a couple of years and that’s basically when you’re on a team and you travel to different cities and sometimes different states to play in tournaments with sometimes more then 95 teams. This is by far my favorite form of baseball. In tournament ball you can play 7 games in a 3 day weekend and things can change not by if you win or lose the game but also by the amount of runs given up. This is a fun and exciting way to play the game and sometimes it works to your advantages and other times it can ruin a season for you.
My first year of high school I played for the San Ramon Valley Wolves. But now I play for the great and powerful Monte Vista Mustangs. I made Varsity as a sophomore in my first year of attending MV. Although I’m not starting right now my goal is to be a starting player by the end of the season going into NCS.
As my mentor coach Stangel said “if you want to succeed at this game you must outwork everyone else, be the first one there and the last one to leave.
Chris reeks with integrity and he is 100% real.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
AMEN sister!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
That’s a great story. I hope the good people of Idaho will at least give him a chance to succeed now that he is in place as a coach. He can obviously work wonders with people who believe in what he is preaching. Too bad about his dad, as I hadn’t heard.
April 19th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Not looking good for the gipper.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
chris stangel is the real deal. I have known chris since high school, although we didn’t become good friends until we both worked in the sheriffs department. I played baseball against him in h.s, american legion, and pro ball. He seems too good to be true, he is a caring thoughtful person and you don’t expect that from people now days. He left the sheriff department for integrity reasons (Sheriffs dept not his) Put your faith in this man and you won’t be dissapointed.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
As with everything Chris does…he leaves EVERY job he has every had in a blaze of drama and controversy…it always being how he got the shaft…AGAIN
There is a pattern that I wish he would see..and make the right changes for himself..to be healthy. He is a narsacist. And only if you “drink his koolaid” are you a good guy. Otherwise…watch your step.
You may have played ball with him…but I know him…have watched him slowly shrink his circle smaller and smaller…due to his inability to be real..and accept people. He is all show…and that will only take you so far. He needs prayers…as does his kids. He never learned how to “play well with others”..and he is the same today. Why he got fired from his job in Idaho. HE pushes it too far. Can’t just play betwen the lines…always has to be “just a bit” outside.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:42 am
my concern is for the kids he is coaching now. young
girls in fastpitch. what makes him a fastpitch expert? why does he spend so much one-on-one time with specific players.. his coaching style is borderline inappropriate.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I heard he got fired from the baseball job in Idaho. So now what..he is moving on to softball ? Again…he leaves in a hail of controversy…NEXT!
August 12th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Chris Stangel is a man who I have never played under but has been as good as family to me. I have seen the values he instills in his players and all the people bashing him makes me sick. He is a man with integrity and a HUGE heart. Parents who cannot stand a little yelling to their little babies should pull the kids out if they cannot handle it. I am not a parent, but a student of the game speaking on how great of a person, coach, and mentor Chris Stangel is
August 18th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
It has NOTHING to do with a little yelling Breezy.
You don’t know the real Chris…and that’s how he needs it.
He is a VERY troubled man, and thats the bottom line. Who leaves every job in a hail of controversy. And I don’t care what you might know about baseball, he should seek some help…for a better quality of life for his family. Thats reality.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
WT spit it out. If not, stop wasting football time on this blog.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Thanks Coach for the guidance…is it a usual habit of yours to play blog police?
Enjoy your day.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I was affiliated with the St. Mary’s program during the 80’s. Chris was a troubled soul then and seems times have not changed.