Remembrances by Frank Miosek

Remembering Reid Nagelschmidt

I have had the pleasure of working with so many fine students and athletes over the years at the Cherry Valley and Cooperstown schools. In our small communities, teachers and coaches bond with many of their students, especially if they stay in the area.

Reid Nagelschmidt was connected not only to me but also to my wife, Susan. She had the pleasure of having him as a student in kindergarten and in first grade (she moved to first grade as Reid passed to first). She liked him so much she chose to have him as a student again in first grade; and what a wonderful young student he was. Reid and Susan both claimed those were the best two years of elementary school.

I got to know Reid early on in sports as my son, Ryan, was coached by Reid’s father, Sharky Nagelschmidt, in Little League. Both boys played some years together at this level. I also saw him in buddy basketball where, again, Ryan was involved. What I noticed early on was how competitive Reid was, but also how nice he was to others, whether winning or in defeat. His sportsmanship was superb then and at the high-school level.

In high-school baseball, Reid could pitch, hit, and field with amazing style and balance. I had the pleasure of seeing him excel on the mound, first base and third base. He hit for average and power (he had the longest home run in the 34 years I coached—it left Doubleday Field and landed in front of the entrance to the Catholic Church on Elm Street).

I also remember how he gave so many boys “haircuts” on his porch when he was in his teens. These were custom cuts, including numbers, symbols, etc., that were special, usually for scholastic contests.

As an adult, Reid was my junior varsity coach at Cooperstown Central School—with his family, he quickly dove into youth sports, much like his dad. What a pleasure seeing him patiently coaching with passion!

I enjoyed Reid’s barbering services infrequently, as my wife has cut my hair for more than 50 years, but whenever our paths crossed it was always the same: high respect and easy-going conversations about the community, sports, fishing, and life in general. I really enjoyed his posts on Facebook: Mainly pictures of his son’s successes on their fishing trips, and other family experiences.

One last memory: In baseball one year, I instituted an aggressive preseason running program for pitchers and catchers—one mile on day one, two miles on day three, three miles on day five, one mile on day seven, three miles on day nine and five miles on day 12. Reid said he would do his best but that five miles “would be tough.” So I told him and the rest of the group that I would do the five miles with them around town and we would have fun doing it. It happened! Reid was successful—could hardly believe he did it! He was tired, but proud. That year, we won more than 20 games, losing in the sectional finals 3-4 on a questionable play with a severe storm approaching the field.

I could go on and on about this special man that Susan and I had the pleasure of interacting with for so long—I only wish it was longer. I sure will miss Reid, and will never forget him.

Frank Miosek is a lifelong Cooperstown resident, teacher and coach.