Coaching from April through November

By Colleen Gundlach
“If a kid shows up and practices, he can play.” That was Mr. Harrington’s rule to baseball and basketball players in Norfolk. These players were coached by Jim Harrington, who was a leader in recreation in Norfolk for close to 15 years. This year Harrington is being honored with the Norfolk Community Service Award, also known as the Volunteer of the Year.
“He always did things in a very quiet way. No fanfare. He just took care of it,” said Norfolk Selectman Jim Stotler, a longtime friend of Harrington. Stotler tells the story of how Harrington recruited him to help out with the youth basketball teams. “I told him I didn’t know much about basketball, but he said, ‘Just come and keep track of them and I’ll do the rest.'”
Harrington moved to Norfolk when he was one year old, and he has lived here ever since. He became interested in sports as a child, and continued when he played for 18 years on the Apple House Chiefs slow pitch softball team here in Norfolk. He met and married Marilyn Giansiracusa, also a life-long Norfolkian, and started coaching kids even before he had any children of his own.
The Harringtons now have two grown daughters, Jessica and Rebecca, and a son, Matthew, who is currently in the military, stationed in Iraq. When the children were growing up, Jim Harrington coached both baseball and basketball. “I had those kids (the teams) from April to the end of November every year,” he said. ” It was a big commitment, but it was a lot of fun.”
The Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion Leagues all benefited from Harrington’s coaching talents for many years. He coached Norfolk and Colebrook players in the Babe Ruth League, a team was known as Norbrook.
In basketball, he coached both boys’ and girls’ team for more than ten years. He is very proud of the fact that he has helped so many children enjoy sports. “I liked to go up to Regional and watch the kids we had taught to play at Botelle,” he said. “Grown men approach me now,” Harrington recalls, to reminisce about team memories.
Sixty four year old Harrington was a member of the Norfolk Recreation Committee for several years, and also, along with his father-in-law, helps to organize the Memorial Day parade in Norfolk every year.
Harrington is the twelfth person to be honored with the Norfolk Community Service Award, sponsored each year by the Norfolk Republican Town Committee. Past winners of the award include Sid Toomey, Sandy Evans, Bob Peterson, Ted Hinman, Barbara Tracey, Ann DeCerbo, Paul Hosch, Turi Rostad, Leo Colwell, Jr., Carl Gundlach, Marc Tonan, and Lou Barbagallo.
A dinner in honor of Jim Harrington will be held on Saturday, April 28 at Botelle School. Tickets are $8 for children and seniors and $10 for adults, and may be purchased by calling 542-6054, or at the door.

Photo by Colleen Gundlach.