BROWNSVILLE, TX -- A legend in Brownsville athletics, Coach Gus Zavaletta died yesterday at the age of 82. A superstar athlete at St. Joseph Academy in the late 40's, Zavaletta returned to his alma mater after playing football at the University of Houston and serving in the military, becoming athletic director and head coach for multiple Bloodhounds teams several years before the private school moved to it's current location in 1959.
Roy Hess of the Brownsville Herald hasa fantastic look at the man and his many accomplishments.
One passage from Roy's story certainly should resonate with all Rio Grande Valley high school sports fans:
“First and foremost, my father was a mentor,” Bart Zavaletta said. “He wanted you to develop as a human being and as a Christian. Just winning wasn’t the most important thing. Seeing you develop as a person was his priority. He was a role model and a spiritual guide to a lot of boys, and that’s pretty uncommon now.”
Unfortnately it is seeming less common all the time, especially on a day like today.
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