DeMaar returns to coaching -- on other side of St. Charles

On the surface, it would appear that Wayne DeMaar is in unfamiliar territory these days.

On the contrary, DeMaar is back right where he belongs -- on the baseball diamond.

DeMaar, who served as head baseball coach at St. Charles High School for 24 years and later as the school's athletic director for another 13 years before retiring after the 2002-03 school year, has returned to coaching.

The only difference is that he's no longer donning the Saints' traditional orange and black colors.

Instead, DeMaar is now wearing the trademark royal blue and black colors of St. Charles North, where he is the North Stars' new freshman baseball coach (Black team).

Weather permitting, he'll put on his game uniform for the first time this afternoon when the North Stars travel to Lisle to face Benet.

Admittedly, DeMaar figures to feel some butterflies before the 2008 season debut.

"I'll be a little nervous," he said. "But it'll probably take just one pitch to get into the game -- maybe not even that."

When I first heard the news about a month ago, the immediate question that first came to mind was -- why would a 64-year-old happily retired man want to return to high school coaching?

Surely, he couldn't miss the long bus rides or the raw, wind-whipped, 40-degree afternoons that often typify early spring in Chicagoland.

Think again.

"I definitely missed it," DeMaar said of coaching. "I'm retired but you have to have something to do."

It's not that DeMaar had been just sitting idly watching the hours pass either.

"My wife and I own more than an acre (of land) and we love to landscape around the house. And we enjoy watching our grandkids play youth football, basketball, baseball, soccer and volleyball and spending time with two other grandkids who live right across the street from us and are active in soccer, swimming and dance."

With a couple openings on his staff, St. Charles North athletic director John Rutter first approached DeMaar about a possible return to coaching last fall.

"I knew Wayne pretty well," said Rutter. "I was the head softball coach at St. Charles (in 1994) when Wayne was the AD. Plus, he's a (White) Sox fan."

In early January, DeMaar accepted the coaching offer.

"I've always respected what (varsity coach) Todd (Genke) has done as head coach," he said. "Basically, I jumped at the chance."

Rutter wasn't surprised by DeMaar's decision.

"Once it's (coaching) in you, it's in you for life," said Rutter.

Ironically, DeMaar's return to coaching comes somewhat as a package deal, as his neighbor, Steve Anderson, was also brought aboard as the North Stars' freshman Blue team coach.

"Steve recently retired and wanted to get into coaching baseball," said DeMaar. "He's a former college baseball player (at Bradley). We're just having a good time."

DeMaar welcomes the opportunity to work with the freshmen.

"I think they're eager to learn," he said. "We've spent an awful lot of practice time working on fundamentals. These guys are coming together from different (youth) teams. This is their first time together as part of the baseball program at St. Charles North."

Both Genke and Rutter feel fortunate to have DeMaar in the fold.

"He's already had a huge impact," said Genke. "For the first time, both of our freshman teams have 35-game schedules. He was instrumental behind that.

"It's exciting to have him on the staff -- for the freshmen and our entire program. It's a huge luxury having Wayne and (volunteer varsity assistant coach) Terry (Ayers) around. They're both Hall of Fame coaches. The kids have so much respect for both of them. You know things are going to get done -- and done the right way."

"He's certainly a welcome addition," added Rutter. "I'd like to have him around as long as he wants to be here.

"And I told him he looks better in blue anyhow."