Harold "Bo"Voelker was a sports guy, plain and simple.

The 1951 Butler graduate lettered in football and track in high school. He played for numerous amateur baseball and basketball teams, taught at national swim camps, instituted weight-training programs and served as an assistant football coach under Art Bernardi for 17 years at Butler.

For his athletic versatility and longevity, Voelker will be inducted posthumously into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame during the organization's annual banquet April 29 at the Butler Days Inn.

"Bo was a physical education teacher and a strict disciplinarian in gym class,"Bernardi said. "You could be that way in those days.

"He was a dedicated coach who cared about kids and proper training."

Voelker went on to play college football at Slippery Rock and played for the Butler Cubs in 1951 and 1956. He played on both sides of the ball and was the Cubs' kicker and Defensive MVP.

He played baseball for the USSHawkins while in the military and was recommended by his commanding officer for a tryout with the DesLant team of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Voelker was one of the 25 to make the team out of 400 players who tried out.

Voelker made the squad as a catcher-outfielder. The other 24 players were minor league players before joining the service.

Voelker switched to softball in 1957, playing for the fast-pitch Serventi team until 1960 and on a team that finished second in the Ohio national tournament.

From 1961 through 1979, Voelker played in the original Keystone Softball League at Franklin Field. He was chosen annually to the all-star team and won numerous batting titles and MVP selections.

Voelker was on the ground floor of numerous things. He was on the wrestling team at Slippery Rock State College when it became a varsity sport. He initiated an intramural sports program and weight training program at Knoch.

He initiated varsity track at Knoch High School as well. Voelker also started the general sports program at the new Butler High School in 1961, serving hundreds of students specializing in water safety and year-round weight training.

Voelker went on to serve as the Butler County Water Safety Chairman for a number of years, training thousands of adults and children in all phases of water safety.

He was a gymnastics judge, Little League coach and head baseball coach at Butler, along with assisting Bernardi from 1964 through 1981.

"I inherited a group of dedicated coaches when I first took the Butler job, then got another group of them a few years later,"Bernardi said. "Bo was part of that second group.

"We had seven coaches working with 110 to 115 players. Those guys had to be dedicated."

Voelker coached offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and kickers at Butler. Many of his former players received all-state and all-American honors.

Here are some facts about 2006 Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame inductee Harold "Bo"Voelker:• Voted Most Valuable Defensive Player of 1956 Butler Cubs football team.• Played both ways and was place-kicker for Butler Cubs.• Was clubhouse boy for Butler Yankees and Butler Tigers of Mid-Atlantic League at Pullman Park.• Initiated wrestling as a varsity sport at Slippery Rock State College in 1958.• Started intramural sports program, weight training and varsity track and field at Knoch, as well as general sports program and year-round weight training at Butler High School.• Assistant football coach at Butler High from 1964 through 1981.The Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame Banquet is at 6:30 p.m. April 29 at the Butler Days Inn. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children. Tickets are on sale at Moses Jewelers, Bill's Beer Barn, Snack 'N' Pack or by calling ticket chairman Richard Pribis at 724-482-4200.

This is the eighth in a series of eight articles profiling the 2006 Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees.