Shupp never ‘walked away’

In regard to Roger Carlson’s Big Easy column of July 25, “Mustang

coaches dropping like flies,” let me enlighten you further.

Bob Shupp was the aquatics coach at Costa Mesa High School for two

coaching terms. In each instance, his replacement was handpicked and

coached under Shupp for no less than one year before the program was

handed over to his successor.

Since I wasn’t around the first time he vacated and turned over

the position, let me tell you a little about his second tenure as

Costa Mesa High School aquatics coach.

In 2001, Bob Shupp returned to coaching at Costa Mesa High School.

Though he never left his teaching position, his displeasure with many

of the issues that today’s coaches face were present when he “turned

over” the program in the mid-1980s.

The administration in 2001, desperate to keep a once-successful,

high-profile sport from vanishing from the non-CIF-approved pool deck

at Costa Mesa High School, convinced Bob for one last swan song, and

hook, line and sinker, the “old man” bit. Thank God!

With Shupp at the helm, the boys water polo team compiled an 0-5

record in Shupp’s first year back and Mesa’s last year in the Pacific

Coast League. Mesa beat Sage Hill and Calvary Chapel that year, but

since neither school even had a CIF-approved pool, the victories were

shallow at best. Costa Mesa’s boys varsity water polo program went

2-14 in 2001. Was the Midas touch gone? Was this really the architect

of the glory days of Mesa polo? The girls varsity water polo team

fared much better, going 1-5.

They also won a handful of nonleague games, and we were so proud

of those girls. In the spring of 2002 in swimming we returned as the

cellar-dwellers again. We had just a handful of swimmers compete at

the league championships; our best finish was a first place in the

consolation finals in the boys 100-meter butterfly. Needless to say

that is last place overall.

But Shupp never gave up, he never walked off. Day after day,

endless drill after drill, lap after lap, we began to see progress.

It was a long summer, but he persisted.

In the first week of fall, I found a new big player in the pool

and I believed that my prayers had been answered. He must have been

an intradistrict transfer player. Was he from Corona del Mar or

Newport Harbor? Maybe an Irvine product whose parents were laid off

and had to move to Costa Mesa and couldn’t get a transfer fast

enough, or didn’t know better. He was fast, big and a lefty. What

more could a team ask for? Shupp was busy doing his drills over and

over again. At the end of the practice, I asked Shupp who this new

kid was. Shupp replied, “He’s no kid; he’s a teacher.”

Visions of greatness disappeared that moment. But Shupp said, “I

want him to coach.” This coach was, and is, Tim Postiff (referred to

as “nobody” in your column). He was reluctant at first, but Shupp,

the master salesman, sold Postiff a bill of goods, and with the

administration’s blessing, Postiff helped out during the 2002 season

as an assistant coach.

In the fall of 2002, the boys varsity water polo team compiled a

3-2 league record. Shupp, the master, and Postiff, his student, were

not far behind. Postiff became the girls head coach in the winter of

2003, and the girls were co-champions of the Golden West League. The

girls went on to lose to Culver City in the first round of the CIF

playoffs, but our group of kids understood they were winners anyway.

With that first taste of victory, we went on to win both the boys

and girls Golden West League varsity swimming championships in the

spring of 2003. All Bob Shupp promised us was two years to get the

program back on its feet. He gave us a little more. He and his wife,

Janet, purchased a ranch in Montana in the early spring of 2003.

Janet, their grown children and Bob’s mother moved to Montana. Bob

remained behind. He wasn’t done with his mission. He coached the

Costa Mesa water polo club team through the summer in hopes of one

last league title. He, along with Postiff as his assistant, guided

the boys varsity team to a 5-1 record in the Golden West League, a

second-place finish (15-9 overall) and its first CIF appearance in

five years. Mesa was up to the task, but was an unwilling victim of

Esperanza High School’s CIF championship run and its eventual 2003

CIF Division III water polo championship. Mesa had four members

selected to the All-Golden West League water polo team.

At our fall awards banquet for Mesa’s boys water polo team, we put

out the word to have a few past players speak about Bob. A few is

what we asked for, and 30 is what we got. These boys that he coached

were now men. Not young men, either. Most were in their late 30s and

early 40s.

The honor they bestowed on this wonderful man that evening still

chokes up those who were in attendance that night. It was a mix

between a Dean Martin roast and a eulogy to a recently departed best

friend or father.

Those who knew him honored him in a way few men are honored. It

was a wonderful ending to a wonderful career. This is the first time

this has been shared with the press. Bob would’ve only wanted it that

way. No fanfare, no big deal. What a night, but I wish the press

could’ve been there.

I didn’t see Bob much after that night. He was back and forth to

Montana so many times before the winter hit that he should fly me up

for a visit to his ranch with his frequent-flier miles. His

successor, Postiff, was firmly in control as the girls water polo

coach and leading them to another Golden West League championship.

But at the end of January, Shupp left the deck for good. No, he

didn’t walk off; he wasn’t fired; he retired to his family and ranch

in Montana.

“Nobody” is somebody. Tim Postiff has become the new head coach

for all four aquatic sports. Not only did he assist Shupp to his

championships in 2003 (girls water polo and girls and boys swimming),

he became the head coach in 2004 and guided the girls in water polo

to another league championship as well as championships in both boys

and girls swimming.

Our CIF swimming team ate five pizzas this year and drank two

six-packs -- one Coke, one Sprite. Things are moving forward. In

addition, the 2004 Costa Mesa girls water polo team ranked eighth

academically in CIF, behind a private school and a parochial school

(www.cif.org).

As far as major sports go, water polo and swimming are major

sports at Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor, and now they are back at

Mesa too. Thanks to Bob Shupp and Coach Tim “Nobody” Postiff.

So, before you parents rush to get that intradistrict transfer,

there are indeed athletic programs at both Costa Mesa and Estancia

high schools, which will rise to the occasion, not only athletically

but also academically. No, we don’t have our own football field or

Olympic pool yet, but we will someday soon. Yes, our facilities are

overused by our community as well as outlying communities. Yes, our

coaches are underpaid and overworked. Yes, we have changes going on.

Keep the faith. We did in aquatics, and though the journey was

painful at times, we have survived and thrived.

We have the full support of the Costa Mesa High School

administration, and they have our full support. See what Mesa has to

offer, and know that things will indeed change with the right coach

and right group of players.

* GARY SPENCER is a Costa Mesa resident and president of the Costa

Mesa Aquatics Booster Club.