European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 7, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 7,1989 the stars and stripes Page 21 prep Pickin s old Friend gone As new year begins school Days school Days dear old Golden Rule Days. Classes began last week around Dodds and that Means sports Competition looms on the horizon. In fact golfers tee off Friday some Tennis players make their first serves and there even is a football game on the Agenda saturday in Germany bin nor environs. So As i Start my 21st full year As the stars and stripes prep sports editor 1 want to take this Opportunity to Greet old friends and extend a Hearty Welcome to All newcomers and anyone returning to Dodds after an absence. One old True Friend whom i will be unable to Greet i m very sorry to report is Bob Gaittens. Bob suffered a fatal heart attack during a Stopover at san Francisco Airport while in route to his Bell Ingham. Wash., Home in july. Gaittens could almost be called the father of Dodds Cross  he did t originate Cross country in the Dodds Nee us Desea system of course but he played a major role in its development into the prominent Odds sport it has become. When bigger schools were experiencing difficulty getting enough runners to Field decent teams Gaittens always had 30 or More competing for positions on the Pitburg team. He had so Many out for Cross country that he had to stage special meets every thursday to determine who would run on saturday. Back in 1970. Gaittens was using such innovations As different coloured uniforms a Mike age map and fou different courses to promote and increase interest in Cross country. His three Best runners wore Gold prac Tice uniforms the next six Blue the next five red the next five Green and the next three White. The shirts have different Point values and we run practice meets during the week for the  gait tens told me Way Back then. The Competition is great. Every one of our runners has finished above the White shirt bracket at least  Gail cons said the mileage map was a map of the . And the goal of the team was to run from new York to los Angeles and Back. We keep track of the total distance we run Over our four courses in practice each week. We have a goal of 6,000 Miles he said. He had his runners vying Over a 2.1-mile Competition course a 1.8-mile Forest course a 6-mile venue around Pitburg air base and a 5-mile Hill course. This gives us variety and intensifies the interest and competitiveness and makes Cross co try a fun activity instead of a Drudge Gail tens added. His runners responded by win Ning practically All the time. Over the years Pitburg has continued to be Strong in Cross country but Many of the coaches have used Many of Gaittens techniques to improve their pro Grams and reduce the Barons domination. Gait Lens who came to Dodds at Bonn Junior High school in 1966 and moved to Pitburg in 1969. Also enjoyed a great Deal of Success in basketball and track and Field Over the years. His basketball team won the big schools championship in 1979 and his track and Field teams with his Cross country people making valuable contributions were always Strong in the longer running events and relays. Gaittens was a sports writer before he got into coaching and his reports on Pitburg events were always on time and always Complete with first names of both teams and All other pertinent details. The 59-year-old Gaittens was scheduled to coach Cross country boys basketball and track and Field this year As Well As sponsor the yearbook and newspaper programs at Pitburg. Bob Gaittens was a teacher who always came through for the kids. He was really excited about his assignments this year when he went Home this sum Mer said Pitburg principal . Klein. He really will be  my sincere condolences go to his widow Jean who had the double misfortune of losing both her Mother and her husband this summer. What is in store for principals athletic directors coaches athletes and fans my goals never change. I want prep Pickin s to be interesting and fair to carry reports on the accomplishments of former Dodds athletes and coaches to congratulate when orchids arc merited to chide when the situation Calls for onions. I wish All the Best for All the teams and individuals involved in prep sports during school year 1989-1990. I Hope this year is the Best Ever in Dodds sports. As usual there have been Many changes since school ended in june. And As usual Many of them involve football there is no bin nor division this year and practically All the leagues have been changed the Small schools playoff formal has been revised Charlie Toth is Back on the sidelines and the . Teams arc going to open their seasons by playing teams from the British youth american football association to mention Only a few. For the first time since 1979, there is no Boneno conference per be. The teams from that league have been shifted into two class a divisions. Accent Hahn International school of Brussels and shape which competed in the bin nor big schools division last year have been assigned to a North along with Berlin Giessen and osterholz. Bad or Cugnach Bonn Brussels Karlsruhe  and Ulm formed the bin nor Small schools division last year. In 1989, they have been joined by Small schools Champion fut a in a Central. A South is composed of , Bamburg Baum older Munich and Vil Scace the other change finds Hanau being dropped from aaa to a. Remaining in aaa arc Frankfurt Heidel Berg. Kaiserslautern. Ramstein Stuttgart . A expands to six teams with Hanau joining carryovers Pitburg. Mannheim Nurnberg. Patch and Owci Brincken. The Small schools playoffs have been improved by assuring every school a shot at a playoff. Last year the Benener Small schools were left in the lurch. This year the . Champion will meet the a North Winner and the a South Victor is paired against the a Central Winner in the Small schools semifinals nov. 11 with the championship game scheduled nov. 18. The big schools semifinals nov. Ii match the aaa Winner against the a run Crup and vice versa with the win ners meeting nov. 18. What would make the playoff picture Complete would be to have the Italy Champion take on the Spain Champion. Those regions play eight Man football and a playoff game would be an added incentive for those athletes. Toth coached Giessen to a 24-2-1 record in its first three years As a High school winning two Small schools titles. Last year he coached a German Basket Ball team and was out of High school coaching. This year he will be coaching the Frankfurt eagles. American style football has become very popular inthe ., resulting in the formation of the British youth american football association and de wat son Dodds Atlantic sports coordinator has arrange an attractive opening Day slate sept. 23 for the . Schools. These teams modelled their league format using High school federation  Watson wrote. This insures that age limitations arc respected an Competition will be Safe and healthy. Matches Between British and american youth have existed in other sports particularly soccer but this will be the first Experiment with american football on a league wide basis. The Cross cultural possibilities resulting from these games arc  so comes the time for another year on the Dodds sports fronts. Golf matches Are scheduled Friday at Hahn Wurzburg and Augsburg the aaa opens its Tennis program with matches at it Irmburg Heidelberg and Wiesbaden saturday and this week s Lone football game finds Frankfurt at Hanau. Complete Golf Tennis Cross country and volleyball schedules appear on Page 20. The Solo Grid Battle comes about because that was see prep on Page 22 1989 High school football schedules Germany aaa Frankfurt sep 9x-Athaneu sep23kaoeisiauenisep 30 at Stuttgart oct 7 at Heidelberg oct 14 Rar Stem oct 21 Wiesbaden oct 2balwua Burg  Almann Evn sep23wurjburgsep 30 at Kat set Statem oct 7 Frankfurt of 21 at Stuttgart of 26 rams Temnovs 4 at Wiesbaden kaiscflslauternsepl6x-Zwe Rucker sep23alfranklurtsep 30 Heidelberg of 14 Stuttgart oct 21 at ram Stem of 28 at Wiesbaden nov 4wuriburg Ramst Cusep 16 a Pitburg sex Alkinburg of 7wesbadenod 14 at Frankfurt of 21 katseialauiernod28atheidefbefg nov 4sluttgart Stuttgart sep 16 a Patch sep 23 Wiesbaden&ep30frarlurt of 7atwunburgod 14 at Kaiser Slatlem ocl21hax� erg nov 4alramaiem wiesbadensep16-Hanau sep 23 at Stuttgart oct 7alramsten odt4wurxdurood 21 at Frankfort Oci 28 Katser Slatlem nov 4 Heidelberg a worzburosep16x-Alnurnberg sep 23 at Heidelberg Sepso Hemslein oct 7 Stuttgart oct 14 Ai Weic Den od26ffinkfurtnov 4 at Kaiserslautern  games no conference Germany a by Truro sep 16 a at ram Vietn sep 23 a at we Brucken sep 30 Han quod Tat Numberg of 14 Mannheim  at Patch oct 26 we Brucken Hanau sep 9x-Frenkiurtsep 16 a at a Baden sep23x-numbergsep30atbburg of 7 Patch oct 14 Zwy Poruchen of 21 at mannheimod28atnurnberg Mannheim sep16x-Hedett erg sep 23 a at patchsep30alnumberg oct 14 at bit Ugroci 21 Hanau of 26 Patch Nornberg sep 23 a at Hanausek 30 Mannheim oct 7brtburgoci 14 at Paten od2laizwftbrucken oct 28 Hanau Patch sep 18 a at Stuttgart sep 23 a Mannheim sep 30 at we Brucken of 7ai  od218�ourgod 28 at Mannheim zweibruckensepl6x-Atkaswsuutern sep23x-Bitburgsep 30 Patch of 7 at Mannheim oct 14 at Hana oct 21 Nomberg of 26 at Pitburg nov 11, 18 playoff games no conference. A Central badkreuznachgep16x-Aibonn sep23alsoeiterbergsep 30 Bonn oct 14 it Arnod 21 at Brussels  4kartsruhe Bon sep 16 a bad Kre Mach sep 23 at Brussels sep 30 Al bad a Reinach oct 7ulmod 14 soes Lerberg od2laifukiaod 28 a Muhe Brussels sep 16 a Soest Ertag sep 23 Bonnord 7aifuwi oct 14 at Karlsruhe Oci 21 bad Krenach oct 28 Ulm nov 4 at Soester erg  Atosie Motz sep 23 at karlsruhesep30soe�urt erg oct 7 Brussels oct 21 Bonn oct 28 at bad Krui Machnov 4 at Ulm Karlsruhe sep 16 a at ulmsep23futda sep 30 Ulm of 7 at so Esterow god 14 Brussels of 28 Bon nov 4 at bad Kate Tanach &oe8terbcrosep 16 a at Brussels sep23badkreuinacnsep 30 at Fula oct 7kartsruheod 14 it Bonn oct2lalutmnov 4 Brussels Ulm sep 16 a Kari Rune sep 30 at Karlsruhe of 7 at Bonn of 14 bad Kreuz nachod 21 Oesterberg od26albtuskersnov 4fuma nov 11, 18 playoff . A North  Bamberg &ep23atbertnsep 30 at shape oct 7osterhot-at  23 accent oct 14 Owen Ouock 21 a is oct 28 shape nov 4alhahn oies5ensep 16 a Augsburg sep 23 at Hal sep 30 is of 7bertmoct 14 at shape of 2 1 accent nov 4atostwhol2 half sep 16 a Ansbach sep23oiessensep30etoste