FARMINGDALE — After more than 20 years of coaching softball, the last eight with the Hall-Dale High School varsity team, Dave Kaplan has decided to step down.

“I’ve been coaching non-stop for over 20 years now,” Kaplan said. “I’m going to take a break from softball. I may go back to it.”

The Bulldogs went 6-10 this season, rebuilding after a 12-4 record the previous season which ended with a loss to Georges Valley in the Western C semifinals.

“If not for Georges Valley and Telstar, their end runs would have been more spectacular,” Hall-Dale athletic director Tim Johnson said in an email. “But you cannot control what your opponent has. He rebuilt the program into a perennial contender and kept it there.”

Kaplan began coaching baseball when his son was young but switched to softball when his daughter came of playing age. He started coaching T-ball teams and moved on to ASA summer and travel teams in 1988 and kept it up for 15 years.

“We went all over the eastern half of the country,” he said. “I love the sport, I love coaching. I’m going to find out what it’s like without it.”

Kaplan was an assistant coach for five years at Cony High School then for a year at Thomas College. He began as junior varsity coach at Hall-Dale and moved to the varsity team a year later. During his time at Hall-Dale, he oversaw two spring trips to Disney World for his team and also got involved with middle school and youth teams in the community.

“I love the kids,” he said. “It’s a good school, good parents. I really enjoyed it. I hope I made a difference.”

Johnson said Kaplan spent hours working on the field at Hall-Dale and was always willing to help others, including opposing teams.

Kaplan said he believes he’s leaving the program in good shape. He’s self-employed in insurance and investment planning and also heavily involved with the Augusta Elks. He plans to devote more time to those activities but left the door open for a return to coaching.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

 

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