Chris Carporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Roger Toole addresses the crowd during a ceremony honoring his contributions to the Bonduel School District athletic program Friday during halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against Weyauwega-Fremont.
For 42 years, Roger Toole has done everything that has been asked of him at Bonduel High School, and more.
He has been a health teacher, driver’s education instructor, coach and, since 1994, athletic director. He has also worked as a referee.
Toole, who is retiring at the end of the school year, was honored for his service at halftime of the boys basketball game Friday.
“My whole life, I was a teacher because I wanted to be involved with coaching and athletics,” Toole said. “I knew that being athletic director was the best thing I could do to be involved with athletics.”
During Toole’s tenure, Bonduel has become one of the strongest and most consistent athletic programs in the Central Wisconsin Conference-8.
“Everything, over the years, has really gone remarkably well. Once in a while, we’ve had a down year from time to time in one program or another, but overall, it’s just been phenomenal programs,” former Bonduel School District Superintendent Peter Behnke said. “The kids have really benefited. … We’ve added sports and kept the ones we had, and even when people told us we shouldn’t keep some of those sports because we were too small, he kept them going and just did a super job.”
Toole was able to relate to almost everyone in the athletic department, leaning on his experience in difficult situations. Mark Margelofsky, a former two-sport varsity coach for Bonduel, appreciated how receptive Toole was to schedule requests and feedback at any time.
“All of those things that Roger handles, I can’t ever recall him messing one up,” said Margelofsky, Bonduel Middle School principal and former varsity baseball and girls basketball coach. “That just speaks volumes about his organization. He also takes a great deal of pride in our athletic program and how smoothly everything runs.”
Behnke said it will be difficult for the district to replace Toole. He said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the school needed two or three people to fill in.
“Communities like Bonduel, athletics are a key component. People go to that, it’s a main event, and it’s got to run smoothly or that reflects poorly on the school district right away,” Behnke said.
Toole will be missed, too, by many as someone who was easy to get along with and someone who cared deeply abound the district.
“Anytime someone puts 42 years into one district, it just shows that Roger really loved Bonduel, and I think he really took a great deal of pride in his own teams that he coached and the athletic programs we have now,” Margelofsky said. “In his years, he always wanted to be not just average, but exceptional.
“He did a really good job because he always wanted to do the best for everyone here in Bonduel.”