Chory Bentworth
Replacing a longtime community staple is never easy, but Shawn Chory is giving it a try.
Chory is the new baseball coach at bentworth High School, taking over the program from Dion Jansante, who retired after last season, the last of his 37 years as the Bearcats’ head coach.
While Chory is approaching the position with an open mind and realistic view.
“I can’t replace Coach Jansante,” Chory said. “He was a pillar in the community, was a great example in the school and on the baseball field for years.
“I’m at Bentworth to carry on the great tradition the baseball team has earned over the years.”
Chory is going to mix his philosophy with what worked for Jansante for almost four decades.
“Of course, on the coaching front, I will bring many of my own ideas and philosophies to mix in with some of the rich traditions Coach Jansante has established,” he said. “The boys understand this. I have already discussed it with them.”
This will be Chory’s 30th year as a coach and for the last three seasons he was an assistant at section rival Carmichaels. Chory was the head coach at Albert Gallatin the previous 14 seasons. He was also head coach at Geibel Catholic and an assistant at Penn State Fayette.
Bentworth athletic director Brian Malecki has been impressed with Chory’s energy level.
“Shawn has already hit the ground running,” said Malecki. “He has had some conditioning and open gyms for the boys and the turnout he is getting is remarkable. The kids are responding to him and are excited about his approach.”
After lettering as a freshman at California University, an injury during his sophomore season gave Chory his start in coaching.
“My sophomore year, I only played in the fall and that is also the year I got my start in coaching,” he said. “I volunteered as a coach at Tri-Valley (now Albert Gallatin) where my father (the late Rob Chory) was the head coach at the time and he needed another coach on his staff.
“He was the one that got me into coaching. After that season, I really enjoyed coaching, so I gave up college baseball.”
Chory, who is only one of two coaches to ever lead an Albert Gallatin boys team to a section title (Dan Andria is the other) in any sport since its consolidation in 1987-88, led the baseball team to the 2000 section championship.
“Shawn knows that replacing a long-tenured coach is a difficult task,” he said. “I already see him keeping some of the established traditions and blending them into his own style.
“He recognizes the importance of keeping tradition and building on that rather than trying to distance his program and create a whole new look. “We are all excited for the direction Shawn is going to take this program.”
Chory will travel daily from Albert Gallatin, where he teaches, to Bentworth.
“Brian has been very welcoming and helpful,” Chory said. “He pushed our home game start times back to 4:30 to help me since I have a 30-minute drive from work to Bentworth.
“He has worked with me getting gym time according to my schedule for our preseason conditioning. Mr. Jason Marvin (principal) and Mr. Scott Martin (Superintendent) greeted me and made me feel welcome the first time I met them. I feel I am already a big part of the Bentworth community, thanks to them.”
Chory learned about the opening from Carmichaels athletic director John Krajnak.
“He mentioned to me Bentworth was looking for a head coach,” Chory said. “He told me I have a job as a baseball coach in some capacity at Carmichaels the rest of my life, but he also knew I wanted to be a head coach again under the right circumstances.
“Mr. Krajnak said nothing but good things about the Bentworth baseball program, tradition, administration, players and fans and I trust him implicitly. So far he’s been 100% correct. I had no plans on leaving Carmichaels.”
Bentworth was 3-7 in Class 2A Section 1 and 7-12 overall last year. What are the goals for this year?
“I want them to improve in all aspects of baseball but more importantly life,” he said. “Not only hitting, pitching and fielding, but also life lessons such as leadership qualities. Being a team player and improving both your physical and mental discipline are two things that are so important in sports and life.
“I want them to remember all coaches and team members represent Bentworth both on and off the field, in our own homes and out in public. I want the team to understand we should hold ourselves in higher regard and if put in a situation, make the decision that might not be the popular decision but the decision that reflects better on ourselves, our teammates, our coaches and the whole Bentworth School District.”