August 9, 2007

Bandaruk closes book on coaching career
After seven years as the Northwood High boys soccer coach, he is stepping down.
BY TIM BURT IRVINE WORLD NEWS

After seven years at the helm of the Northwood High boys soccer program, Barry Bandaruk believes the time is right to change his focus a little.

Bandaruk decided to step down as the Timberwolves’ coach and spend more time with his wife, Sheila, as they embark on a new chapter.

The past seven years have been successful ones for Bandaruk, who guided the Timberwolves to the CIF championship in 2002. Northwood defeated Bonita, 2-1, to take the title. In 2004, Northwood reached the semifinals of the CIF playoffs before losing to Woodbridge, 3-1.

“I felt it was the right time,” said Bandaruk, 58. “There is a very good nucleus of players returning. The freshmen won their league and they did very well, so Steve (Tatone) who is going to take it over, should have some success.

“I felt like now was the time to leave because someone who comes in now is going to have some players who he is going to be able to do well with.”

Bandaruk will continue to teach at Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine for three years but said he now is looking at some “pre-retirement strategies.”

“I’m going to do some more traveling and spend some more time with my wife,” said Bandaruk, who has spent 40 years coaching swimming, football and soccer. “We enjoy doing some traveling together.”

“Our sons Jason (a firefighter in El Centro) and Scott (in his last year at Cal State Fullerton) are doing their own things so it’s time for my wife and myself to enjoy the next half of our lives.”

Bandaruk leaves with some fond memories, including coaching Scott and working with Jason as an assistant at Northwood.

“We’ve had some great kids,” he said. “There have been a times there have been struggles with some of the behaviors, but for the most part, it’s been a great experience for me.

“We’ve had some very successful teams and I think about a lot of the kids frequently. I’m going to get out and see a lot of the games the next year, but I’m going to go as a spectator, which will be fun.”

The CIF championship match stood out, Bandaruk said.

“That was our first senior year,” he said. “The kids having played together for those two years really helped them. And I had known most of those kids growing up through teaching at Sierra Vista and working with many of them in Harvest Cup and some of the AYSO club soccer programs, so it was really kind of an easy transition.

“And they came together, they were just good friends and that really helped.

“You might recall the heroic efforts that day of Michael Giese, denying several breakaways early to keep us in the game.”

However, Bandaruk said if he had to “pick a team,” it would be the 2005 Northwood team that defeated Woodbridge in the finals of the Trabuco Hills Tournament.

“That team had the best record of any team, in Northwood history, going into league. It ended 15-5-1.”
An injury to goalkeeper John Marino turned out to be devastating, Bandaruk said.

“The team played well the rest of the season but not having John playing keeper cost us dearly,” Bandaruk said. “We gave up three simple goals, one each in three different games, during the season, that cost the team the league title and our CIF hopes. But I would again say it was our best team.”

Bandaruk was also proud of the schedule that his teams played.

“We always scheduled some of the top-rated teams,” said Bandaruk. “We played Mater Dei, Capistrano Valley and Edison and we always I think done well against some of the top teams.

“I think in the six times we played Mater Dei, we went 3-3 with them. You want to play the better teams in order to be a better program and we always did.”

There were challenges, too.

“The biggest disappointments were the number of injuries to key players every year,” Bandaruk said. "What might have happened if these key injuries had not occurred is only a guess. I am sure we would have had even more success than what we have had.”

While he said he will miss coaching, Bandaruk is looking forward to a more relaxed life.

“My wife and I have a new slogan when we’re out on the road, ‘we have no sense of time, we don’t know what time it is or what day it is,’” Bandaruk said.

For now, that’s the way he wants it.