To the Editor:
Ken Kirik, our late beloved Voorheesville teacher and track coach, was more than an engaging mentor.

He was also a master runner and raconteur, often at the same time.

Throughout miles of runs around New Scotland and beyond, he regaled his charges with stories of his own college days, his favorite movies, the vagaries of teaching, and the timeless legends that make up the lore of distance running.

Coach Kirik came of age at the peak of the running boom. A member of then-SUNY Albany’s first intercollegiate track program, he arrived at Voorheesville with impressive credentials in teaching and running.

Though he competed in multiple marathons each year, he adapted his own training to run with members of the team in nearly every workout. Perhaps he also adapted the team’s training to align with his.

Long runs of 12 miles or more were common, something not lost on the many teams whose endurance paled against the Voorheesville squad.

Coach’s running gait was somewhat ungainly. Slightly hunched, elbows wide, he seemed to go down the road like his wheels were out of alignment. But those wheels were fast. With a shout, he would announce a sprint to the next telephone pole, leaving a trail of gasping runners trying to catch up.

A kid of the ’60s, he was a social studies teacher with a mildly rebellious nature where authority was concerned. Naturally, this trait endeared him to the teens he mentored in the classroom and on the track.

He made time for his athletes, spending entire Saturdays at far-flung and never-ending track meets or standing in the rain with his stopwatch and clipboard while we slogged through a muddy cross-country course.

He made every meet an event and praised the accomplishments of all. The day after each race, he would present a handout with a detailed recap of the prior day’s successes, including a nod to the most-improved of the late finishers.

For all he gave during his life, Coach Kirik gave us another gift as he neared his finish line: a chance to reconnect and remember some of the days when we were at our best.

Coach Kirik really mattered, especially to those of us who would go on to make running, teaching, or coaching a big part of our lives. That he got to hear as much from so many in his last days was our small gift to him.

Coach Kirik had a good run.

Charlie Casey

Voorheesville

Class of 1980

Editor’s note: Kenneth E. Kirik died on March 18, 2022; he was 81.