My parents’ volleyball team marks 22 years together

My parents’ volleyball team has played together for over 22 years and compiled a higher than a 71% winning percentage (won over 1,000 games out of 1,400 played). They are all in their 50’s now and are routinely winning against teams of people in their mid-20’s to 30’s. Way to go!! 😉

The Coasters Volleyball Team

Sheboygan-Press article:

By Mary Eckardt
Sheboygan Press staff

They’re legends of the volleyball world, according to their captain, David Quasius.

Actually, a lot of their opponents think they’re pretty good, too.

For 22 years, Quasius’ team of four 50-something couples, The Coasters — now referred to as “The Oldsters” — has been playing volleyball through the YMCA, Community Rec-reation Department, summer and tavern leagues and just about any other slightly-organized competition they could find.

They’ve won more than 1,000 of the 1,400 games they’ve played over the years, mostly against teams with members in their late 20s to early 30s.

Quasius turned 58 Friday; his wife, Kathy is 58; Roger Klettke is 58; his wife, Jane, 53; Bill and Mary Jo Braatz are 57 and 56 respectively; and the youngsters are 51- and 50-year-old Don and Mary Schaning.

Klettke says he hopes to still be competing and contributing at 60. Then it might be time to call it quits.

Thursday night they played against Hops Haven at the Y, coached by Mark Schultz, sitting out with his foot in a cast.

“I’ve seen them for six years and they have played forever and beat everybody. They’re all in their 50s and they get to every ball. They don’t get rattled. They’re good sports,” Schultz said, adding he had Bill Braatz as a math teacher in the early 80s at North High School.

Mary Jo Braatz said, “I’m playing against former kindergarten students of mine.” She teaches in Kohler.

They’re probably the only team with a team logo and uniform, (“It brings a measure of respect,” Mary Jo Braatz. said) and they’re still quite confident in their bravado, especially Quasius, who likes to flex the team muscle with his one-liners.

He put out a couple “newsletters” — but his wife said you can’t believe a word of it.

Years ago, he wrote, “Now, that the Coasters appear to be coasting toward another successful season, we should remember our humble roots. … No matter how badly we beat others, try to say something nice to them as we pass them under the net after the game.”

Some things he has said: “You guys could be doing real well in a lower league,” or “We played an even more incompetent team last week.”

Quasius loves to tell about the time “the offensive play of the night was an early spike (by himself) that left a skid mark smoking on the floor.”

But Roger Klettke said, “We’re playing more with brain than brawn now. Playing at this age, the fun is in the participation.”

“We’re only losing a little more and we all enjoy how the other teams look at us,” Dave Quasius said. “They look at you and think, ‘Oh, three easy wins tonight.’ Then we taunt them.”

It all started with a men’s league the guys were in. They got to know each other and decided to invite the wives — teaching them strategy during post-game refreshments in restaurants or bars.

They’ve won lots of tournaments and their dominant strategy is to have fun.

“Honey, show ’em how you can touch your knees,” Quasius said to his wife.

2 thoughts on “My parents’ volleyball team marks 22 years together

  1. Jeanne O'Malley

    Please pass on my admiration and email address to Roger Klettke who I knew as the best boy in Milwood Elementary School and a member of the (until now) highly secret club the Hi-Lo’s. Tell him Brent Kooistra and Jeanne Theodore wish to get in touch.
    Thank you for your attention.
    Sincerely,
    Jeanne O’Malley
    Canberra ACT Australia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge