John Kashatus

Category
2011
About This Inductee

John started his sports career as a Little League and Biddy Basketball. At Newport Township High School, he was a three-year starter at third base and a member of the undefeated championship team in 1958. John was president of the Newport Township Softball League 1963-1976. He served as an assistant varsity coach at Newport Township High School in football 1965-1966, in basketball 1967, and in baseball in 1976. He played semi-pro baseball in the Wyoming League (Mocanaqua, Glen Lyon) 1961-1964, and continued as player/manager in the Central League 1965-1967. He was an assistant varsity basketball coach at Nanticoke Area High School 1968-1970, and coached the ninth grade program to the championship in 1970. After serving as an assistant baseball coach from 1968-1969, John became the Nanticoke Trojan’s head baseball coach form 1970-1978, 1982, 1984-1994. He managed Nanticoke’s American Legion Post #350 team from 1980-1991. He was the Keystone State Games NE (Pocono) regional manager in 1987, and assistant coach in 1988, 1989. His head coaching career stats are high school 239-169-4; American Legion 161-125-7; Keystone State games 4-0-0, for a total of 404 wins, 294 loses and 11 ties. In 1981 John was named Wyoming Valley American Legion Coach of the Year. In 1987 John received the Pennsylvania Amateur Volunteer Coach of the Year Award by the United States Baseball Federation. John, and his wife Sally, established and directed the Triple Play Baseball Camp (1989-1998) for the area’s young baseball prospects. He was a PIAA and IAABO basketball official for 22 years (1971-1992). He served as assistant coach at Luzerne County Community College for four seasons, Fall 2000, 2001, Spring 2001, 2002. He currently is a volunteer assistant coach at Dallas High School since 2003. John’s high school teams claimed league and/or division titles in 1970, 1971, 1976, 1988, and 1990; and his American Legion teams received regional berths in 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1989. John’s 1988 Trojans won Division, League and District Titles, and participated in the PIAA State Tournament. He resides in Nanticoke with his wife Sally. They are the parents of three children – Christopher (deceased), Kenneth, and Karla Kashatus Plasco.