Many people ask who Paul Schmidt is? Why is the Andale track meet named after him? Why do they put a bear on their track uniforms? Well, Paul Schmidt was the head coach before coach Tyler Ryan came along. He was a part of the track program for 55 years. He was known as an amazing coach who always put in the extra effort to work with each kid. He was a very kind person who always put others before himself. He was the man who built the track program up into something incredible.  Paul is a man who Andale will never forget and will always carry on with his legacy.

A few years ago in 2018, Paul passed away and in his honor they not only named this track meet after him but also added a bear emblem on the sides of our track gear to remember him. Many of the coaches who worked with him before said he was the most reliable man and never failed to make someone’s day. He always said that the best part of his day was being able to go out and coach kids who were wanting to work hard and improve. He could turn any player into an athlete and always took the time to stay late and work with them.  He was able to produce 9/10 top athletes in the hammer throw, along with a national runner up in the high jump as well.  He was the kind of person who would not stop until his goal was achieved.

Paul Schmidt was not only just a coach, he was also a teacher. He taught math as well as physics at Andale High School. He was known to be the type of person who could brighten a room as soon as he walked through the doors. Students who did not participate in extracurricular activities also always looked forward to just being in his class.  He was a big personality who never failed to make someone’s day better no matter what they were going through. Paul was also a man who also aimed to be the best coach and role model he could be. He spent many long hours learning new skills and drills to teach his kids in order to turn them into top level athletes. Many of these tributes are still used today at Andale and same with the drills he continued to teach. Many of the coaches in Andale still refer back to the lessons he taught them.

Why was he named bear? Well many people do not know that in the summer, he used to work up at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. People started to call him Yogi Bear (Yogi Bear from the cartoons) which he was not a big fan of. The name later turned into bear and everyone said it just sort of stuck. This is the reason why Andale has put the bear emblem on their track gear and uniforms. This was just one more way to remember Paul and live out his legacy. Another way they use the bear reference is at the Paul ¨ bear ¨ Schmidt invitational track meet, where they also did trivia and told stories about him throughout the meet as well.

Paul was not just a coach but he was also a father, brother, uncle, grandpa. You could ask anyone who knew him and they would all tell you how much of a family man he truly was. His family meant everything to him and he was never afraid to show it. Just by the commitment he showed to his wife, who he was married to for 60 years, is quite impressive. He was truly a devoted man and he was always and is looked upon as a leader. Andale was a place he called his home for many years and he spent his life at that school and never regretted it once. His memory will live on forever in many of the hearts who knew him or even just heard about him. He will never be forgotten and will always be remembered in the Andale Community.