Catching up with former Zane Trace HS multi-sport athlete Joe Dunkle
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Over the past four decades, a key contributor to Zane Trace High School and the Scioto Valley Conference has been 1989 ZT grade Joe Dunkle. In his playing days, he was a three-sport, All-League athlete who played football, basketball, and baseball. Dunkle was a foundation piece for a lot of winning in the Zane Trace athletic programs. In recent history, we as sports fans have only known Zane Trace basketball to be extremely successful, but in 1989 when Dunkle鈥檚 team won the Sectional title, it was the first Sectional net in 17 years at Zane Trace.聽
鈥淢y best memories from high school athletics were the structure, discipline, teamwork, accountability, and responsibility instilled in us by our coaches,鈥� said Dunkle. 鈥淚t was the same traits that our Dad taught us at home, so when we were at school, it wasn鈥檛 any different. I feel today that kids need extracurricular activities while in high school to develop a wide range of skills – including people skills. I have my work ethic today due to the way I was raised and the way I was coached. I鈥檓 not sure that kids today get the structure and discipline that they are going to need in the real world after high school. I also don’t see the respect in a lot of this generation, and not all of that is on the kids.鈥�
Following high school, Dunkle played two years at Ohio University-Chillicothe, where he won a state title. He completed four years of schooling and an apprenticeship at Mead Paper and received a Maintenance Multi-Craft Certificate. Dunkle has spent the past two decades working as the Head of Maintenance and Custodial Supervisor at Zane Trace. During his time at ZT, he has also been a highly successful basketball coach in both the boys鈥� and girls鈥� programs.聽
鈥淚 feel like there were three reasons we were pretty successful in the 10 years I coached girls,鈥� Dunkle started to explain when asked about his accomplishments in coaching. 鈥淲e had good athletes and basketball players. We had physical girls that would outwork the opponent, and we had girls that didn鈥檛 mind being pushed and coached hard, nor did their parents. I always told the late Phil Gray that the girls I coach at ZT do something for me a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon couldn鈥檛 do 鈥� they make me look pretty good.鈥�
Dunkle and his life partner, Ruby Smith, live in Chillicothe. Dunkle has three children. His daughter Kelsey (Colton) Whitehouse and two granddaughters, Ivy and Izzy, live in San Antonio, Texas. His son Joel lives in Columbus and his daughter Gracie lives in Chillicothe. Through all of Dunkle鈥檚 time with his family and his players, it is obvious he has a great passion to work hard and instill that work ethic in his family.聽
鈥淲hen I gave up coaching in 2013, I informed my athletic director and high school principal,鈥� said Dunkle, who loves hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, cutting wood, and spending time with his entire family. 鈥淏oth said it鈥檚 probably time because today you鈥檙e dealing with a different type of kid. I disagreed and stated you鈥檙e dealing with a different parent raising that kid.鈥�
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