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(The following feature article on Icer coach Joe Battista was
written by Ace Reporter Jim Iovino for a feature-writing class at
Penn State in the fall of 1996)
Battista Brings Respect to PSU Hockey
by Jim Iovino, Ace Reporter
The opening day of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp at the
team's practice facilities at the Iceoplex at Southpointe on
Sept. 8 was a homecoming for Penn State ice hockey coach Joe
Battista.
While one of his former players, Rob Keegan, was practicing with
the likes of NHL stars Jaromir Jagr and Joey Mullen on the ice
below, Battista was working his way through the restaurant
overlooking the ice surface. Battista, who used to be the
director of amateur hockey development for the Penguins, mingled
with former bosses and co-workers while walking around the
restaurant, shaking hands and telling stories with everyone he
met, including current executive vice president and general
manager of hockey operations, Craig Patrick.
Battista, wearing a white, short-sleeved golf shirt with the
words Penn State Ice Hockey embroidered on the left side and a
Nike Swoosh on the right, eventually made his way from the
restaurant to ice level, where more fond memories from his
Penguin past emerged. As the on-ice workout wore down and Keegan
showed definite signs of not being quality NHL material,
Battista was just getting warmed up. With the stamina of Bob
Dole on the final day of election campaigning, Battista talked
hockey, and family life, with everyone from assistant coach Bryan
Trottier to director of community development, Cindy Himes.
"Every five minutes I ran into someone I knew," Battista said.
"I had so much fun. These were good friends and people I knew
really well."
And every time he looked at his former player skating around the
ice, Battista grinned from ear to ear. During some endurance
sprints near the end of practice, Keegan, who became the first
Penn State graduate to try out with an NHL team, was trailing far
behind the rest of the team, obviously winded and ready to
collapse. Battista loved every minute of it, smiling and
pointing at the player he coached for four seasons. Every time
Keegan skated a lap by Battista, who was watching through the
Plexiglas, he glanced over and cracked a smile at his old coach,
who looked like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store.
"Look at him out there," Battista said near the end of the
Keegan's practice, already reminiscing about what he had seen.
"Did you see the look on his face when he lined up against
Jagr? I wish I had a camera. He didn't realize who it was until
he looked up right before the faceoff, and there he was..."
Battista knew how much that tryout meant to Keegan. It was an
opportunity for him to continue his hockey career past the
collegiate level. Keegan knew how much the day meant to
Battista, as well. That afternoon at Penguins training camp was
a special one indeed for Battista. Keegan's invitation to an NHL
camp was a sign that the 10 years of hard work Battista has
invested into the club ice hockey program at Penn State was
paying off. And it was Battista's coaching that molded Keegan
into a quality hockey player.
"It was a chance for us to get some notice and spread the word,"
Battista said. "It was tremendous exposure for the whole
program."
Battista has been the head coach of the Penn State Icers since
1987. After John Shellington retired as coach, Battista jumped
at the chance of coming back to his alma mater, where he
graduated in 1982 with a degree in marketing, and coaching the
same team he spent four seasons with as a player. Taking over
for Shellington, who laid strong foundations which Battista could
build upon, the former Icer captain and team MVP began his quest
of creating a solid college hockey institution that stressed
academics just as much as athletics.
The preparation and coaching that Battista puts in before and
during every game is obvious on the ice. His players are always
in control of what they do and how they act. They never seem to
lose their heads like so many opposing players in the ACHA do,
and a lot of that has to do with the values Battista instills
during practices.
An example of the control Battista's team shows occurred when
Michigan-Dearborn visited Happy Valley for a weekend series
earlier this season. As always, the Wolves, led by head
coach Joe Aho, played with reckless abandon the entire weekend.
The Wolves created havoc and attempted to get the Icers off of
their game plan. In contrast, the Icers played methodical,
almost cerebral, hockey. They didn't let the Wolves under their
skin and showed their discipline and composure. And, as
expected, Penn State swept the series against Michigan-Dearborn
and extended its winning streak against the Wolves to 12 games.
The two styles of games the teams play on the ice are reflective
of their coaches. The recklessness of the Wolves is in direct
correlation with Aho. Aho is a coach who gets flustered easily.
In visits to Penn State alone, Aho has thrown water bottles at
referees, attempted to punch a Penn State player and has been
ejected from games on numerous occasions. Battista, on the
other hand, has learned to keep a steady head and do nothing
irrational behind the bench. Battista knows that he is
constantly being watched by his players and is expected to act in
a certain matter in order to get his players to act the same way.
"I think it gets back to class," Battista said. "If I throw a
water bottle at a ref, I give Penn State a black eye. What kind
of message is that sending to the players?"
Battista recalled a moment early in his career when he lost his
composure, but due to "divine intervention," he was stopped from
doing something he would regret. During a game in his second
season as coach of the Icers, Battista became furious with poor
officiating by a referee. After continued yelling did little to
sway the ref, Battista decided to reach out and grab him and
let him know exactly how he felt.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how he looks at it,
Battista slipped off of the bench he was standing on, fell to the
ground, and found himself looking skyward to find his players
staring back at him in amazement. Battista didn't get a chance
to tell the referee what he thought and he ended up with a
sprained ankle for his efforts.
"I must have slipped for a reason," Battista chuckled. "If I had
been successful at grabbing his arm, I would have been thrown out
of the game and probably suspended."
Josh Brandwene, who is currently in his first season as head
coach of at the University of Delaware after several seasons at
West Virginia, knows Battista's coaching style very well and
knows what to expect when he faces the Icers.
"It's going to be a clean, classy game against Penn State,"
Brandwene said. "I really enjoy coaching against them."
Brandwene knows Battista's coaching style so well because he
played five seasons at Penn State under the tutelage of Battista.
During his time as an Icer, Brandwene moved past Battista to
become the all-time leading scorer by a defenseman in Penn State
hockey history. Today, Brandwene credits his former coach as a
major reason why he got into the coaching profession and said he
owes a lot to Battista for helping him get in the position he's
in today.
"He was a fantastic coach," Brandwene said. "I learned an awful
lot about hockey and life while I was there. Our coaching styles
are very similar with the importance of image and acting in
a positive manner."
For Battista, winning hockey games isn't everything. He prides
himself on developing quality young men, not just quality hockey
players. Battista's players know their coach cares about them,
and because of it they want to do the best they can both on the
ice and in the classroom.
"He cares about everything. He cares with all his heart," Icer
captain Eddie Kmit said. "And unless you give him 100 percent,
you feel like you've let him down."
Since the Icers are only a club team at Penn State and are not
funded by the University, the players Battista recruits are not
the top prospects in the nation. Potential careers in the NHL
are not in the future of any of the players on Battista's roster,
except, perhaps, for Rich Martha or C.J. Patrick. Both of their
fathers are affiliated with the Penguins.
That's why Battista stresses academics so much. He constantly
reminds his players they are in college for an education first
and hockey second. Battista has even developed an academic
support system for his players, including help from several Penn
State professors. According to the Icers media guide, the team
regularly compiles a grade point average of over 2.8.
"We've played clean, competitive hockey and have had a graduation
rate in the 90 percent range," Battista said. "I'm not in this
just to win and lose hockey games."
Brandwene acknowledged Battista's dedication to developing good,
all-around people in his ice hockey program.
"(Battista focuses) more on classroom activities than hockey,"
Brandwene said. "People that come out of the Penn State hockey
program are going to be productive people."
One reason why Penn State can attract quality ice hockey players
despite not being able to offer scholarships is the good
reputation the ice hockey program has. The other is Battista.
When Kmit was a senior in high school, he planned on making
visits to numerous ice hockey programs across the country in an
attempt to chose one that would be right for him. His
first stop was Penn State. After meeting with Battista, it
turned out Happy Valley would be his only stop. Kmit was so
impressed with Battista and the Icer program he canceled the rest
of his recruiting tour.
"He's a good salesman for Penn State as a whole," Kmit said. "He
just cares and he shows you that."
During his tenure as head coach at Penn State, Battista's caring
ways have paid off with wins. He's the team's all-time
winningest coach and has never seen a losing season. Coming into
the 1996-97 campaign, the Icers have recorded a winning
percentage of over 76 percent and have been national champions
twice under his guidance. Battista is the only Penn State ice
hockey coach to win 200 games during his career.
Because of all the success Battista has had during his tenure as
coach of the Icers, there have been many opportunities for him to
move on to bigger and better things. He has been offered several
assistant coaching positions at Division I ice hockey programs,
including one at Ohio State, and was even asked by the late Bob
Johnson, who died of a brain tumor while still coaching the
Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, to apply for a job as assistant
coach with the Penguins' farm team in Muskegon.
But Battista is going nowhere.
He declined all other offers and decided to stay at Penn State,
where he has nurtured the Penn State ice hockey program into a
winner. Battista has developed a program that has had plenty of
success during his time there and the potential for an even
brighter future. His decision not to pursue a higher coaching
position has been disheartening to some, however.
"As a father, I'm disappointed that he hasn't taken a shot at the
Division I level," Battista's father, Joe Sr., said. "I always
thought that he could have made a good Division I coach.
"But he's happy there (at Penn State) and is married and is
settled down now. I would have loved to have seen him take a
shot, though."
Battista gives several reasons for not leaving Penn State. The
first and most important reason is his family. He currently
lives in State College with his wife Heidi, who is also a Penn
State graduate, and their two children, Brianna, 4, and Jonathon,
2. Battista doesn't want to have to uproot his family and move
to a place like Muskegeon or New England in pursuit of a new
coaching career at the Div. I level, one which wouldn't have as
much security as the job he holds now.
"I have a lot of friends in the business at that level," Battista
said. "There are two types of coaches: fired, and those about to
be. A lot of friends in coaching are either divorced or still
single. That wasn't something I was willing to do."
Battista also said his wife has a great job as a hydrogeologist
in State College, they have family and friends in the area and
both he and his wife bleed blue and white.
"Being able to coach, being around your family and being at my
alma mater are more important to me."
But finding time to be with his family is often difficult for
Battista. Besides coaching the Icers, Battista is also the
building coordinator of the Greenburg Indoor Sports Complex.
Battista guesses he spends between 60-70 hours a week at the ice
rink, and sometimes as much as 14 or 15 hours a day. He even
takes his work home with him sometimes, spending nights watching
games on tape.
And then there are the "extra-curricular" activities, such as the
recreational ice hockey league at Penn State that Battista plays
in on weekends, only when the Icers are in town, of course, and
other daily chores like talking to the media.
Once the Icers' season is over, the players get a chance to rest.
But Battista can't stop coaching. Over the summer, Battista
holds eight weeks of hockey clinics for children of all ages at
the rink in Penn State, two more weeks in western Pennsylvania
and another in Philadelphia.
During the season, Battista said he has trouble finding time to
spend with his wife and kids. He spends time with his children
in the mornings watching Scooby Doo before taking them to day
care. He also tries to drop in on them unexpectedly during the
day or call them from work just to talk with them for a while.
Battista realizes it's tough to have quality family time with his
hectic schedule. Lately, Battista has cut back on the number of
extra things he does not only for his family, but for his
personal health, as well.
"You begin to realize that the extra money is nice," he said,
"but my body can't take it and I miss the time away from my wife
and kids.
"I'm lucky I have a very understanding wife. We try to
incorporate as many things as we can to being together through
hockey. My wife and I have to schedule dates."
His family also knows it is tough on him to be around as much as
he'd like to be.
"Joe's a workaholic," Battista's mother, Angie, said. "A lot of
times he'll be in the hockey office until two or three in the
morning. He's very committed to what he does."
But, Angie said, those who know her son are well aware of the
time and effort he puts into his work. She said he's been like
that all his life.
From a thesis paper he wrote in high school on the space program,
which he got a 99.9 percent on because the teacher didn't believe
any paper could be perfect, to his strategic approach to air
hockey games against his brother, Battista's parents said their
son gave his all in anything he did. And that attitude carried
over to the ice hockey rink.
"They (Battista and his brother, Jan) were always interested in
athletics when they were young," Angie said. "When hockey became
popular, he went right into it."
Battista started playing hockey in his early teens, around the
same time his high school in Penn Hills, Pa., started a hockey
program of its own. The Battista brothers tried out for the
first team in school history and made it. From that point on,
hockey would take a significant role in his life.
Battista moved from Penn Hills High to Penn State U., and his
hockey equipment went with him. Originally he wanted to major in
Nuclear Engineering, but after an internship at the Westinghouse
Energy Center in Monroeville, Pa., during his sophomore year, he
found that being an engineer wasn't for him.
"He found out that he was a people person," Angie said. "He said
he can't just sit in a cube and do engineering work."
So he switched to marketing, and after graduating from Penn State
in 1982, Battista began his life after college with the
Pittsburgh Penguins. His involvement with the Penguins began
with an internship, one he convinced the team to develop after
much harassment of Paul Steigerwald, the current Penguins' color
commentator. Battista wouldn't back down with his proposal for
the internship, and finally the Penguins caved in and gave it to
him.
"I bugged the hell out of Paul," Battista joked.
Then, while still an intern with the team, Battista's will to
succeed showed through again when he wrote a proposal creating a
new position for himself. He called it the director of amateur
hockey development and assistant to the marketing director.
"He put together a proposal," Angie said. "He sold himself and
they bought him."
Battista stayed with the Penguins until 1985. He worked with
Steigerwald on the team's ad campaign and made friends with
numerous Penguins, including Mario Lemieux and Warren
Young. That was also when Battista began his coaching career.
He successfully coached the Junior Penguins, a 17- to 19-year old
travel team made up of kids from the Pittsburgh area.
But eventually, the numerous responsibilities began to wear him
down and it was time to move on.
"He knew that he was stagnant there," Angie said. "It was hard
for him to leave, though, especially because of the relationship
he had with the kids (he coached)."
Battista moved on to Kent State, a Division I ice hockey team,
where he became a graduate assistant coach and assistant director
of the ice arena. However, Battista noticed that the Kent State
team was committing numerous NCAA violations, and after
confronting the coach about it and seeing that nothing was done,
Battista decided it was time to part ways with the team.
"What hurt me the most was when I went to one of my advisors and
spilled my guts out to him (about the situation)," Battista said.
"All he said was Oh, come on, Joe. Don't be naive. This goes
on everywhere.'
"My faith in intercollegiate athletics was just rocked."
Battista left Kent State and joined the ice hockey program at
Culver Military Academy, one of the top prep schools in the
country, for the 1986-87 season. In that one year, the program
at Culver made him a believer in athletic programs once again.
Battista loved Culver and hated to leave it, but the next year he
was offered the head coaching job at Penn State and wasted no
time in returning to Happy Valley. And the rest, as they say, is
history.
But, despite all his successes, Battista feels like he has some
unfinished business to take care of. When he came back to Penn
State as coach 10 years ago, he thought there was a good chance
of the Icers turning into a varsity sport. Battista is still
waiting.
A few years ago, Battista said his team was close to obtaining
varsity status, but Penn State joined the Big Ten and the idea
was pushed to the back burner as Title IX, a gender-equity
rule, came to the forefront.
"My only disappointment (as Penn State coach) is that we have
been unable to get the athletic program to see us as a varsity
sport here," Battista said. "Everybody in the area is aware
of the program. It's tough to ignore success."
Battista has had strong support from players and fans throughout
his coaching career at Penn State and there's a lot of public
backing for the Icers to turn into a varsity sport. Battista
doesn't see that happening any time soon, but in the meantime
he's doing his best to make the most of his situation.
Varsity status might not come anytime soon, but Battista is happy
with his job and his life as a whole. He has even become an icon
of sorts at Penn State. Young players from his hockey
camps look up to him as a role model, and even your average Icer
fan sees him as a symbol for Penn State ice hockey. Even more
than the Nike Swoosh adorning every piece of clothing worn
by the team and coaching staff. Joe Battista is Penn State
hockey, and neither he or anyone else associated with the Icers
would have it any other way.
"His name is synonymous with Penn State hockey," director of
cross-ice operations, Steve Feitl, said. "He's the heart and soul
of the hockey program."
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