HOWARD — 10,950 — that’s how many days Jason Ewalt has been the coach of the East Knox Bulldogs Track and Field program.
As is the case with many smaller schools, Ewalt works a full-time job before driving from Mount Vernon to Howard every night. What keeps a coach coming back to practice year after year, 30 in total, after working his full-time job during the day?
“It’s the kids, honestly it is the kids,” Ewalt said. “Every year I get a new batch of kids and as they come through, they improve.”
Ewalt believes consistency with the athletes is an important aspect of the program.
“They get to their senior year and some will say, ‘you gotta help me through my senior year,’ and then the next batch comes through.”
The long days can be exhausting, even Ewalt admits that.
“It can be that way,” he laughed.
But few things deter his spirit
Along with assistant coaches Tyler Sabo, Jason McElroy, Brent Lang, Heather Bostick and Lindsey Bush, Ewalt put his team through its paces on a rainy Friday evening.
Looking at the track, he was thankful for what the community has provided.
“This is a fairly new facility. The track has been here since 2009 and it was just resurfaced,” Ewalt said.
He appreciates the venue because for his first 14 years, practice required a caravan of cars.
“We practiced in Mount Vernon and didn’t even have a bus,” he reminisced. “For liability reasons, we would not be able to do that now.”
The coach believes the program is on solid footing entering the season.
“We are pretty well rounded,” Ewalt said. “Lange and Bostic help coach the pole vault and that is a huge help for me.”
Ewalt credits the late John Fair, former Mount Vernon City Council member, with helping him succeed.
“He was my high school track coach and helped me a lot through the process. I learned a lot from him,” Ewalt said.
High school is where Ewalt got his first taste of track and field, running the 100 and 200 meter relays and competing in long jump.
After graduating from Central Ohio Technical College-Newark, Ewalt was offered the job with the Bulldogs. It’s a gig he’s handled for 30 years.
“You don’t have to remind me,” the coach said with a smile.