As a high school math teacher spanning more than five decades, Dick Katte ’58 was all about numbers. On the court, as a basketball coach for 48 years, he was not. So the fact that his win total—876—made him the winningest coach in Colorado high school basketball history is surprising, but only to himself.
“It’s amazing that it happened,” said Katte, who was on the sidelines of the Denver Christian High School basketball court from 1964 to 2012. “I never had a goal to reach a certain number; I just wanted to go to work and help young people every day.”
Those who know Katte, though, are grateful that the legendary coach has shared some of his expertise in his recently published book, Over Time: Coach Katte on Basketball and Life.
“I reluctantly agreed to the book,” said Katte, who was approached by longtime Rocky Mountain News columnist and feature writer Mark Wolf about the idea. “I never thought I was good enough to write anything like this, but I was convinced because I wanted to give back to the game that gave me so much. I wanted young coaches to realize they aren’t the first ones in the world to go through some of the things all coaches go through.”
The book is an eclectic compilation of biographical information on Katte, from his upbringing in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to his battles with a brain aneurysm and cancer much later. It includes strategies on offense, defense, press breaks and how to run a practice; his philosophy of coaching; his memories of individual games and championship seasons; and how to raise up young people of character.
Interspersed are quotes from former players and colleagues reflecting on their experiences with Katte.
“Writing the book was a good process for me,” said Katte. “Most of it was pretty easy to recall. And, though I didn’t always see why something happened at the time, I always had something good to take away from the experience.”
Such was the case in Katte’s second run at a state championship in 1972. (He won his first in 1970.) In the championship game, Denver Christian was up by double digits in the fourth quarter. “I told [my team] to slow it down, pull Eaton out of their zone and make them guard us,” he wrote. “Well, we never could get going again, and we lost by a point. … After over 40 years, some still carry that disappointment with them, and I feel bad that we didn’t win it. It’s one of the lessons from life: about how you deal with adversity.”
Indeed, Katte himself benefited from this lesson when a brain aneurysm nearly took his life in 1984 and nine years hence he battled cancer.
“My setbacks helped me become a better coach because it humbled me,” he wrote. “I realized I wasn’t in control and that’s the hardest thing to learn—especially for coaches. … Adversities are given for a purpose. How you use them is up to you.”
Following those trials, Katte would go on to win three more state championships—eight total—including one in his final season.
His records and awards are numerous, including being named a Distinguished Alumnus of Calvin in 2005. His success presented him with opportunities to “perform on a bigger stage.”
But for Katte, one of the biggest lessons in the book and a message he discloses frequently is “bloom where you are planted.” “What that always meant to me was that I didn’t have to change schools or ‘move up’ the coaching ladder to receive fulfillment as a coach. Each person must have a mission and vision to become the person God gifted him to be.”
The book, while intended for young coaches, athletes and parents, has a universal message. “My prayer would be that when people read this book they can be reminded of how great it is to work with young people,” he said, “and to make a difference in their lives.”
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Dick Katte's book, Over Time: Coach Katte on Basketball and Life, is available at the Calvin Campus Store.
