By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
Former East Troy High School baseball coach Steve Douglas spoke to the East Troy Community School District Board of Education Monday night about the possibility of naming the baseball fields at the school in honor of former East Troy player Brad Mysliwski.
Mysliwski, a 1999 graduate of East Troy High School, died Dec. 19, 2013, after a protracted battle with PMP cancer.
Mysliwski was a member of the 1999 East Troy conference championship team, according to Douglas. He played second base.
“He came to work hard every day,” Douglas told the board.
Mysliwski was also a member of the 1999 State Championship American Legion. Douglas recounted a the story of how Mysliwski pitched back-to-back games (not his normal position) to qualify the team for the state tournament and that he also scored the winning run in the championship game.
One of Mysliwski’s former teammates also spoke to the board, describing his friend’s battle with the rare cancer and the long struggle he endured.
“The fight he had in him, he learned on the field,” he said. “And a lot of that was on those fields.”
School Board President Dawn Buchholtz expressed appreciation for the presentation by Douglas and sympathized with the friends and family of Mysliwski for their loss. She told them that while they couldn’t make a decision that night, the matter could be put on the agenda for a future meeting so the board could discuss it and possibly take action.
Board member Mike Zei asked if the group was requesting if just one of the baseball diamonds be named after Mysliwski or if they wanted the board to consider naming the whole complex after him.
Mysliwski’s former teammate said he’d like to see the whole complex named after his friend.
“East Troy baseball meant a lot to him,” he told the board. “It meant a lot to him to be a Trojan athlete.
Superintendent Dr. Chris Hibner said he would look into the district’s policy on the matter and make sure the board had all the information it needed for when it came up on the agenda.
“I think it shows the impact he (Mysliwski) had for you to come here tonight,” said Hibner.
Buchholtz wrapped up the discussion saying the board would be taking the matter under consideration.
brad and his family would greatly appreciate this honor. he was a good man and friend to many of us. thank you for the consideration.
I also have had the honor to meet Brad he had a great influence on my son participating in baseball. I believe it would be a strong encouragement for other young athletes in the East Troy area to see the complex named in his honor. It is all about encouraging our youth to believe in themselves as Brad did.
Baseball teaches all so much more than winning and losing. Hard work, play by the rules, argue, kick dirt at the end of the game you take something away that can be used for the good of your community. I watch this movement from Tulsa OK. What a great tribute to a friend and teammate. Good Luck no greater tribute than to memorialize a fallen comrade.