FRANK GATTO COACH YEAR OF INDUCTION: 2022 "Wins are important, I'm not going to lie, but it's the teamwork, teaching kids to work together that makes coaching so great," said Frank Gatto, who has touched the lives of countless young athletes for the better part of more than four decades. He was beloved wherever he coached, especially at Steinert High School where he helped the football and baseball programs achieve much success. "I like all of the levels of coaching. It's a great thing," said Gatto, who coached football at several Mercer County high schools, including Notre Dame and Nottingham, and also at Central Bucks (Pa.). He also coached baseball at Notre Dame and did some coaching at the Little League and Babe Ruth levels. "I had the good fortune of being Principal when Frank was a counselor and varsity football coach," said Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame Co-Founder and Co- Chairperson Frank Lugossy. "He was certainly respected by his fellow coaches and co-workers. As a counselor, he had an open-door policy and was always available to his students, players and parents. It certainly was a pleasure working with Frank over the years." "I really liked my time at Steinert," Gatto said. "Really good people there who always cared about the kids." He calls his time at Steinert "a good run." "I've been blessed," he said. "Awards are nice but seeing students succeed gives me great satisfaction. I am very proud of the fact that a lot of my players went to college. It's a great thing to see former players coach and have families and careers." One such player who moved on to become a family man and coach is Hall of Famer Bob Ziegler. "When I think of Steinert football, I immediately think of family and camaraderie," said Ziegler, who received the Rich Fornaro Award and served as team captain in 2000 when the Spartans went 8-2 and helped the school make its first playoff appearance in football. "I will always be proud to be a part of the teams that helped turn the program around. "Coach Gatto cared about his players. He surrounded himself with great coaches." "I always had good people around me," Gatto said. "And, the parental support was outstanding." In addition to his impact with SHS football, Gatto contributed to a thriving baseball program. "He made huge recommendations to me and we won four state championships," said Steinert Hall of Fame member Rich Giallella about his assistant who worked with the pitchers circa 1995-2000. "I remember thinking, he's a counselor and he knows how to get to the issues to get them to perform. He would take them in, on his own, and solve the issue. The kids just relate to him and he's just funny. He's very effective." "There’s nothing like coaching," Gatto said. "You spend two or three years with them, you see them get better and better. My motto has always been: You never quit on kids, I learned that early in my career. People ask me 'how did you get so much knowledge in two sports?' When I was young, I listened. That's how. "Coaching has always been a passion to me. Working with kids is a sacred thing." Since the summer of 2018, the legendary coach and guidance counselor has been the president of the Hamilton Township Education Association. RETURN TO THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS PAGE