Dedication to Rich Hastings

Dedication to Coach Richard Hastings

Nov. 1, 2005: Newington Wrestling recently lost one of its own, former High School Coach Richard Hastings, in a tragic house fire.

It is fair to say that Coach Hastings WAS Newington Wrestling. During the time he was coach, and even after he left the program, Coach Hastings was an inspiration to many of Newington's young people. He not only coached the sport of wrestling, but taught his team and all the young people of our town about thinking big, believing in themselves, and about the importance of character. He will be sorely missed.

For some words about Coach Hastings and the wrestling program, click here.

To visit the Newington Wrestling Alumni Association web site... click here...

Coach Hastings'
4 Cornerstones of
Newington Wrestling:

1. Family
2. Pride
3. Constant Improvement
4. Dreaming

Coach Hastings'
10 Commandments
of Living:

1. Life begins with a vision
2. Work hard - its the best investment you can make
3. Have initiative
4. Love your work - have pleasure in mastering it
5. Be self-motivated - Set a high internal standard
6. Have the spirit of conquest - overcome difficulties!
7. Cultivate pride
8. Help and share with others
9. Reevaluate goals - constantly improve!
10. In all things... Do your best!

Tributes to Coach Rich Hastings... (scroll down)

A superb Gentleman...fiery competitor...committed coach...loyal friend...great teacher. All these and so much more. Never knew him to say a bad word about anyone. But most of all, a superb Gentleman. I miss the nights of trying to out-think each other, and of having our kids battle each other while at the same time totally respecting each other. Coach Hastings' legacy is Newington Wrestling. Well deserved.

Coach Germain
Bristol Eastern Wrestling

My father (Rick's cousin) called me this morning and shared this tragic news. Although I had not seen Rick in many years, I have extremely fond memories of the holidays, and family gatherings that we shared as boys. Though Rick was only a few years older than me, I always perceived him as being the (young) grown-up who everyone loved being around.

And, after viewing the video tape of Coach Hastings on the Black Hawks website, I saw the same - confident and sincere - second cousin that I looked up to when we were children.

Over the years Rick Hastings' name came up in a few conversations that I (by chance) had with people connected to Wrestling, or Newington High School; enlightening me of the high esteem that his community placed upon him. My heart goes out to everyone who was touched by Rick's big heart.

Jeffrey W. Jahnke
Hartford, CT

Wow....you don't know what you have until it's gone. I think back to the things that I have learned from Mr. Hastings....too many to count. I remember my last day of 5th grade...he saw me do something really stupid to another student and made me stay after school for a half hour! After "yelling" at me as a teacher...he then started talking to my like a father. I'll never forget his tone of voice and how disappointed he was with the way I was acting. He really cared about all of his students...He was a great teacher....a great guy....and a great friend. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of the people whose lives have been touched by Mr. Hastings. He will be missed....

Craig A. Montanari

Rich...
We began our coaching careers almost at the same time. Oh, how the years have passed. you were always an upfront and honest individual looking to shape young peoples' lives. I am very proud to have learned from you. Yes, we shared many good times and because of our friendship I am a better coach today.

Sincerely,
Brian Reardon
Head Coach Yale University

Coach Hastings was one of the most influential people in my life. He taught me a great deal about being a man and what it takes to be successful in life. He will surely be missed but never forgotten!!!

Julio Duarte
School Counselor/Head Coach Hall High School
Conard High School

Every once in a while, I stop and take a look in the mirror and think about the man I have become. When I think about how I have become the person I am today, the first person that comes to mind - other than my own father - is Coach Hastings. I can say unequivocably that I would not be who I am without the immeasurable impact he had on my life. When I became a wrestler, I had a lot to learn - both on and off the mat. Through all the hard work I endured while he was the head coach, along with the countless motivational speeches, mental practices, kicks on the butt, pats on the back - it was not hard to know that he lived up to his word: he treated me like I was his son. When I lept into his arms after my first pin, I knew that I was armed with all the lessons he taught. And I have not forgotten them since.

My prayers go out to Benjamin, Billy and the rest of his family and friends.

Ben Fairclough
Communications Assistant
Big East Conference

How can anyone summon the words to express what Coach meant to us. He not only molded a succesful program but more importantly he made all of us better people. I'll never really know what made me decide to wrestle my freshmen year, Coach just made it seem so incredible I had to be a part of it and to have Coach be apart of my life. He cared for every student but a special place in his heart was reserved for the team members. Whether they were state open champions or a JV guy with only days on the team he always made you feel as if you were the number one concern in his life when you needed him. The nite of this tragedy started as any other house fire for me. When I saw the license plate I wondered but thought it might be a coincidence. The horror of the discovery changed my thoughts but still I didn't know for sure till hours later. My life was changed so greatly by this man he showed me how to live life the right way, how to treat others, how to achieve things even when no one thinks you can. I was looking forward to showing my daughter to Coach and will now never have that chance. but I do know that he will be looking over her as he will all of the Newington Wrestling family of which he was the Patriarch. He always told us to dream and set our dreams high and I have set my dreams as high as possible I dream of being the Coach, Father and most of all the man that coach was.

Tony Spada
Haz-Mat LT.
Newington Fire Department

I remember the first year my son wrestled at the high school level for Coach Hastings. There was a young man that was having a difficult time both on and off the mat and Coach wanted someone to be a "peer-mentor" to him... Coach chose another JV wrestler to look out for him. It not only helped the troubled wrestler, but gave responsibility to the other JV wrestler who acted as the mentor... Coach rewarded the JV wrestler with a varsity match by the end of that season for his leadership... That was just the kind of guy Coach Hastings was. He put as much emphasis on things happening OFF the mat as ON the mat. He taught his team to always conduct themselves with dignity... to always go pay respect to the other team's coach after a match... it was the way we did things in Newington Wrestling. It was Coach's way he made young wrestlers into young men...

Bruce Fairclough
Newington, CT

I was a proud member of the first wrestling team at Newington back in 1988. When I heard the tragic news it made me step back and re-think of those times during that first year. Coach Hastings made a lasting impression on all of us and that will be his legacy that will live on for many years. He taught us how to succeed and helped shaped us into the men we are today. For that I am grateful to Coach Hastings. For anyone who ever encountered Coach Hastings we were just an extension to his family and he was always proud of our achievements athletically and most importantly in life.

Coach Hastings will be surely missed....but as long as we each succeed he will never be forgotten. Coach Hastings will always be a part of each and everyone of us.

Marc Agdish

Richard C. Hastings has been an inspiration in my life since I was in Kindergarten. First as a gym teacher, later as a coach, and eventually as a mentor, he has taught me so much about life. I have thought on and on about the lessons I had learned as I began writing, searching for those perfect words that could convey how I feel. Five crumpled up pieces of paper later I have concluded that sometimes it is best to keep it brief. Unfortunately life is not perfect it has ups and downs, victory and defeat, great gains and...like recently... tragic losses. What Coach taught us was that what makes a person great is how they can overcome adversity. Life comes at you hard an unexpectedly at times. It is impossible to have total control over our lives, but it is possible to be strong enough to handle pain and loss. Also equally important is the value of friends and family. It is only through their help do we truly work through life's difficulties. Coach was a man that was there for those he loved through their most difficult times. He held back no punches and never told you what you wanted to hear. He was truly an inspiration. It is partly because of him that I now teach. I have the opportunity to pass on the knowledge that was imparted to me. His legacy will live on in those who were lucky enough to have known him. It is through us that Richard C. Hastings will be immortalized. Even though in future generations his name may be lost; his message will live on. He will truly be missed.

Andrew Jason Martin
Literature Teacher at Corpus Christi School
Wethersfield, CT

I have known Richard Hastings since I was a child. He was my brothers Wrestling coach throughout high school. He has been my friend for as long as I can remember. His charm and willingness to help kids and adults when in need was phenominal. He was a great man, even through his hard times in his personal life. His recent death due to a fire in his home is tragic and horrifying. I wish for everyone to remember him and honor him in these next couple days. He leaves behind family and friends. May we never forget.

R.I.P. Coach Richard Hastings

Cornelius Uliano
Ventura, California

Mr. Hastings was a great man and fantastic coach. The news of his passing seems very surreal. He coached my brother through his wrestling career and was a great role model to him as well. I will never forget what he taught us and how he teased me through freshman year physical education. I remember how much fun we had when he was teaching us
self-defense, and how much more confident he made us girls feel. God bless him and his family.

Much love and sorrow,
Kathy Saatsakis
Newington High Class of 1992

My Coach, My "Father", My Friend

Let me tell you about a man I once knew,
He would never make you say or do anything he wouldn't do,
He did expect a lot from us back then,
He taught many aspects of life that changed boys into men.
I speak of this man not just as my coach,
I speak of him as another father or even a good friend who made himself easy to approach.
He was a great father to his two sons he held so high,
In reality he had dozens of sons who on this day are not too manly to cry.
Blood, sweat, and tears we used to live by and say,
We just didn't know the tears would flow this way,
I will miss this man that has touched my life and my heart,
At an important stage of my life, maturity and growth, this man was a part.

Jarrod Kehl
Wrestler 1992-1996
Captain 1995-1996

Cornerstones

A wonderful wind swept into the lives
Of many young people searching for the prize,
The prize of life simple and pure,
Accepting challenges while safe and secure.
He held out his hand and offered a way
To grow and mature, never to be afraid.
Discipline, hard work, success to those who strive,
Family, school, team - A legacy of pride.
Four cornerstones of life, and living, of family and team;
Pride, Constant Improvement, Internal Motivation, the willingness to Dream.
And to his loved ones who are pained by his loss,
To all of his friends, students, families, and wrestlers of course,
Remember the encouragement, the warmth, the lessons in life,
Learned from his teachings, his coaching, his positive bright light,
And so live your lives complete with the sense
Of his dedicated message "Hard Work Towards Excellence".

Jon D. Kehl

I had the privilege to wrestle and coach with Coach Hastings. His approach to wrestling still lives with me and I am better for it. He had a way of teaching life lessons and disguising them as a wrestling workout. In all ways, Coach will be missed by everyone that he came in contact with - and that was everyone.

Coach Lou
Lou Mota
Mechanic, New Britain Transportation

Into each person’s life, many individuals enter and leave with little affect. A precious few, however, leave a powerful, lasting, positive affect. For me, Rich was one of those people. Rich Hastings was the most influential person in my life outside of my family (and only a few family members can compare). I wrestled for him for 4 years and coached with him for 5. I would be a completely different person had I not been a part of Newington Wrestling. The values that I am most proud of, I learned from him...

Focus on Family – 1) Family, 2) School, 3) Wrestling, 4) Everything else.
Work Ethic - Hard Work Towards Excellence.
Integrity - Your word is your bond.
Helping Others in Constructive Ways – Coaching with him was my first experience really helping others in a constructive way.
Power of Positive Thinking – He was the first to show me the powerful connection between attitude and results.
Goal Setting – I had never previously set a specific, long term goal.

Rich also gave me a confidence and self esteem that I did not posssess before before I met him. Now you could say….."any good coach would have done the same". I don’t believe that, not for a second. I had other coaches…midget football, soccer, little league…..none of them did any of the above. None of them emphasized non-sport lessons. None of them instilled self-esteem in me. None of them motivated me like he did. None of them loved me or made me love them.

There are only a handful of letters on here so far, but rest assured, we are just some of the hundreds of people Rich has touched in a positive way. In 1987, his efforts created the Newington High School Varsity Wrestling Program. This program has helped boys become men, has helped strengthen families, and has helped strengthen a community. Newington Wrestling is a legacy that lives on today.

I LOVE YOU TOO COACH

Kevin Zoeller
An NHS Wrestler

What a shock it was when my mom called to tell me about the tragic news.

I was the first in my family to be taught by Mr. Hastings in High School PE. Soon after, my brother came along and had him for a PE teacher and wrestling coach. What memories I have of watching all those matches. Mr. Hastings did turn boys into men and the program really did bring people together to create a second family. My family still has lasting relationships that started with the Newington Wrestling Program. My son has also been able to experience Mr. Hastings in his life as an elementary school PE teacher. He still boasts today about how his Uncle Jarrod's coach was his gym teacher.

My thoughts and prayers are with the entire family and all those that have been touched by Mr. Hastings.

Jodi (Kehl) Mangene

Dear Mr. Hastings,

You will be truly missed. Not only were you a role model to all the
wrestlers in Newington, but you were an inspiration to us as well. We are the
daughters of your friends, the sisters of those you coached and the girls who kept
score. Thank you for being one of the sturdy rocks while our lives seemed
to be avalanching. Thank you for the privacy of our tears. Thank you for
teaching us to be strong. Most of all thank you for the smiles, the jokes and
the gags. Mr. Hastings, you were a 3 point take down, our coach and most
importantly our friend. We are forever proud to have know you.

Love,
Petra King
Mary Bavaro

I coached against Rick many times and was always impressed with the skill level, sportsmanship, will to win, of the Newington wrestlers! Rick was always a gentleman, and fierce competitor, who understood where sports/wrestling fit into the educational part of students lives! Personally, Rick was one of the few peers I had in the coaching fraternity that could match my "sick" sense of humor!

He will be sorely missed as both a friend and a rival!

Rick Sherman
Ex-Coach East Lyme HS Wrestling

I have known Mr. Hastings for almost twenty years. Although I never wrestled
for him, he had such a positive impact on me as a young adult. Mr. Hastings
was a great judge of character, and what he thought of me meant alot. Over the
past couple years, I grew closer to him as a teacher candidate at Anna Reynolds
Elementary School. I learned so much from him. As a young adult, I
considered him a friend although he was many other things to me including a teacher,
mentor, and role model. He would give you the shirt off of his back, and you
knew it. I will miss him immensely.

Michael DelGaudio

Rich Hastings was not my coach or my P.E. teacher. As a matter of fact I am older than him by many years. He still managed to teach me a great deal. Rich and I team-taught Sunday School together. As I watched him with the middle school kids, I realized what a wonderful teacher and person he was. As everyone who wrote a message has said, he genuinely cared about his students. It was important that they get what he had to give them. (He'd even bribe them with donuts for answering a question.) He was an inspiration to everyone he met.

I have not seen him in a very long time and yet his passing has deeply affected me. But I am probably no different than anyone whose life he touched.
Terry Perrelli,
Youth group advisor,
Kensington Cong. Church

Coach Hastings was the most important role model, mentor, and father figure during my four years wrestling for him. What is best about Coach is that I know I am not nearly the only one to feel that way. It makes me proud to scroll down the names here and see that I am but one of a legion of people that owe so much of who they are today to what Coach Hastings taught us back then. I remember trying to tell him how much I appreciated everything he did for me when I visited him a year or so after I graduated high school, but Coach would have none of that, and joked with me until I changed the topic. That was the sort of humble and gracious leader he was, more interested in doing things instead of talking about old war stories. Like so many others, I now am sitting here at a computer with hundreds of old, warm, and sometimes hilarious memories of the greatest mentor I ever knew coming back into my mind. We all have different ones, but they all share the same Coach.

To his family, my deepest sympathies and sincere wishes, and to all friends and wrestlers, new and old- may we all enjoy a few tears, and a few laughs, recalling such a wonderful and positively special Coach.

Ben Zweibelson
Newington Wrester, 1989-1993
ben.zweibelson@us.army.mil

Rick was my cousin, although we haven't been close in quite a few years, I remember how
much fun he was as a kid. We spent a lot of time at our aunts house in Hampton and he
would come swim in our pool. He was a great guy. I wish I would have known him better as an adult. I'm very sorry for the rest of his family and will be thinking of them often with my deepest sympathy.

Sincerely, Candy Jaworski Perkins
PS I think the speakers at the service did an excellent job. Thank you

I was shocked to recently learn of the death of Coach Hastings. Let
me start by saying this site did an excellent job of paying tribute
to the Coach...thanks. Coach Hastings was one of those guys that as
a high schooler, you didn't come across everyday. There was always
an air of comfort that surrounded him and it was contagious. While I
only wrestled for half a season, I was always eager to go to practice
and be inspired by his encouragement. I can honestly say that his
tenets live with today as they did then and I can only hope to pass
them on to as many as will listen. I am thankful for the time we
were allowed to spend with him and I sincerely believe that he is in
a better place now. God bless him.

Khary Stringer
Class of 1994