Coach Bartosek is the Father of Wrestling in Canton. The long-time Science teacher at the Galvin Middle School and at Canton High School, brought his deep love of the sport to CHS by beginning a team at CHS in the 1990s. Bartosek founded the Bulldog Wrestling program and developed it to be a great program before retiring in 2010.
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| Coach Bartosek being officially inducted |
It wasn't the titles that were ever important to coach Bartosek- it was the journey. It was the growth of his athletes. It was his special ability to take a young man (or women) who had not been able to find "their thing" and help them recognize it and develop it. He truly made a difference- a hugely positive difference- in the lives of hundreds of young people from our school and town.
Link to Canton Citizen article with more detail on his career.
As a young high school coach in the 1990s I was greatly influenced by the coaching style and substance of coach Bartosek. I learned a great deal from him. Never does much time go by in my coaching life when I am not referencing him in my head. Although he has been retired for seven years, you can still feel his influence throughout the Wrestling program and the entire athletic department.
Bartosek's greatest Wrestling legacy at CHS is certainly in the various successes of so many of his former grapplers. Current CHS coach Brian Caffelle, who took over for Coach Bartosek and has guided the team to great heights, is certainly a protege and disciple of coach Bartosek's coaching philosophy- Hard Work, Respect, Sportsmanship, and pushing yourself to your limits are all things that Coach Bartosek instilled in his athletes, and is something that Coach Caffelle has continued. That is certainly a winning legacy.
Again- on behalf of the entire CHS Athletic Department- congratulations to coach Tom Bartosek on his induction into the HOF. I cannot think of any other coach more deserving of such an honor.
