400 and counting
ADAMS TWP — Dana Petruska was humble when asked what reaching 400 career coaching wins meant to her, saying, “I've always said it's not about me, it's about the kids. It's just another win.”
Mars' girls basketball coach reached the milestone with her team's 68-43 victory over Keystone Oaks at the Slippery Rock Tip-Off Tournament last weekend.
She is in the second season of her second stint with the Planets. At Mars, where she originally coached 1986-2005, she has tallied a combined record of 290-192, including Thursday's 72-32 victory against Knoch. She previously coached at Deer Lakes 2007-15, compiling a record of 111-71 for an overall mark of 401-263.
Petruska was more than willing to mention the people who helped instill in her a love of coaching.
“My dad, John Elder, was my first coach,” said the 1975 Deer Lakes graduate. “He was a good guy, a blue-collar guy. He coached me in softball and was not easy on me. I remember making a bad throw one time and he told me to do 25 push-ups. I said, 'I'm not doing push-ups!' He said either I do the push-ups or walk home.
“It made me realize that there had to be somebody to take control,” she added. “You had to commit and work hard at things. It piqued my interest with what it meant to be a coach.”
Petruska also credited her high school softball coach, Carol Sprague.
“She was the reason I was recruited by Pitt, where I ended up playing basketball,” Petruska said.
While with the Panthers, Petruska played under three head coaches — Jean Condo, Pat Wallace and Jean Balthaser.
“All three of them had strengths and I took those with me,” she said.
Petruska also coached softball at Richland High School (now Pine-Richland) and at Mars. But, much like when she played, she has always been the most passionate about basketball.
“I also played volleyball in high school and I liked all three sports,” she said, “but in basketball, you are engaged all the time. It's faster-paced and you have to be focused at all times.”
During her first coaching run at Mars, Petruska never thought she would coach long enough to reach 400 career wins. It was a change in her mind-set that has kept her in the game.
“It was about 15 or 16 years ago that I realized that I couldn't want success for the team more than the kids wanted it,” she said. “We'll play just to have fun, if that's what the players want.
“I'm still demanding and I still get fired up, but not like I used to. That's been the biggest change in my coaching style.”
Dana Petruska and her husband, Jim, have three grown sons — Jimmy, Greg and David.
Jimmy Petruska is currently the women's basketball coach at St. Vincent College and David coaches the varsity girls team at Deer Lakes.
