Stindt to be honored Friday night

Daily Sun sports

It had been Ben Stindt’s dream to return to coaching this season as a volunteer with the Beatrice Orangemen football team.

A former Orangemen head coach and retired teacher, Stindt had planned on working with Beatrice’s linebackers and was being welcomed back to the staff by current head coach Bob Sexton.

But Stindt’s dream ended before the Orangemen’s season began.

Stindt, 68, died June 15 after a battle with cancer.

The contributions made to the Beatrice football program by its former coach will be recognized Friday night as Stindt’s memory is honored during a presentation at the end of the first quarter of Beatrice’s home football game against Lincoln Pius.

Kickoff for the game at Athletic Park is slated for 7 p.m.

“We obviously wanted to recognize Ben for his contributions to Beatrice football and Beatrice Public Schools,” Sexton said. “We were sad he did not have the opportunity to coach with us this fall.”

Sexton said Stindt would have been a “great addition” to the Orangemen coaching staff.

A number of current Orangemen players were taught by Stindt during his time as a elementary physical education teacher, Sexton said.

Sexton said the elementary students “loved” Stindt as a teacher.

“They (the players) were looking forward to having Ben work with them,” Sexton said.

Members of the Stindt family have been invited to the game and will be recognized.

Stindt’s immediate family includes his wife, Lincoln; son, Bennett; and daughters, Jennifer, Julieanna and Kathryn.

All former players and students of Stindt’s attending the game will be asked to stand as a tribute is read.

After graduating from Beatrice in 1958, Stindt was a three-sport letterwinner at Midland Lutheran College, competing in football, wrestling and track.

Stindt started his coaching career at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., where he worked with track, wrestling, baseball and football teams.

For eight years, Stindt was head coach for the Fighting Scots football team, earning the California A-1 state championship in 1976.

Returning to Nebraska to raise his young family, Stindt took over as head coach for the Beatrice football team, a position he held from 1978 to 1982.

Stindt was 14-31 in his five years as head coach for the Orangemen during a time when Beatrice was still in Class A.

After giving up his football coaching duties, Stindt moved from teaching math at the high school level to teaching physical education at Paddock Lane and Stoddard elementary schools in Beatrice. He retired in 2002.

During retirement Stindt continued to be involved in football as part of an officiating crew. He also substitute taught at all four Beatrice elementary schools.

When Stindt started planning his return to coaching for his fall, he wanted to do something special to help motivate the players, Sexton said.

In talking with one of his former California high school players, Stindt came up with an idea.

The former player, current Fresno State University head coach Pat Hill, told Stindt how their program provides T-shirts for their “big hitters” each week.

Stindt liked the idea and, with a financial donation from Hill himself, planned to implement it this fall in Beatrice.

“Ben wanted to help bring an identity to our defense,” Sexton said. “He decided to create something to recognize our big hitters.”

Sexton and Beatrice’s coaching staff made sure that part of Stindt’s dream lived on.

T-shirts are being presented for the “big hit” each week at each level of organized football in Beatrice this season — from the Bombers youth program for third through sixth-graders to the middle school program for seventh and eighth-graders to the high school program.