A high school coach's career of excellence

The Wareham High School girls basketball team took to the court  Dec. 30 in a game that meant a little more  due to the return of a former coach who led the team for more than 30 years.

Bob Rojik coached the Lady Vikings for 31 years, racking up 307 wins, and was honored at halftime of the game. Lady Vikings who played for Rojik stood beside their former coach to honor him and what he accomplished.

"He was the best coach ever," said Lisa Rego who played for Rojik.

He came to Wareham as a math teacher at the start of the 1971-1972 school year, after previously teaching in Pennsylvania where he coached boys basketball. He said he knew he wanted to coach.

Rojik began coaching Wareham track in 1971 and had stints as a basketball coach for the boys freshman team and the girls JV team but it wasn't until 1981 when Rojik got the girls varsity job.

Over his career, Rojik led teams to deep playoff runs and winning seasons but he said the most important thing to him was to leave the girls with something they could take with them off the court.

"We wanted to win but it was more than that," said Rojik. "It was about developing an interest in basketball and a love for the game and being a good teammate and working hard."

What Rojik didn't expect when taking the job was just how hard working  the girls he coached would become.

"The girls got involved playing summer league and I was so encouraged by their willingness to play all summer long," said Rojik. "I would work on some moves with the players and they would take it and get better. They were really willing to work on the little things."

Raquel Mullaney played for Rojik and said she learned a lot from him that she has used in her professional life.

“Coach Rojik was such a patient and calm man,” said Mullaney. “He exuded kindness and demonstrated compassion on and off the court. These life lessons have traveled with me throughout my career as a business woman and entrepreneur. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be coached by such an honorable man.”

Mullaney currently owns two Plymouth based businesses, Sip at 1620 Wine Bar and 1620 Winery and Events Corporation.

As a math teacher, he saw the hard work his team put in on the basketball court translate to the classroom.

"A former player came up to me at the game and said 'I'm really glad I had you for calculus and I learned a lot. It encouraged me to pursue mathematics in college,'" said Rojik.

He added that seeing the girls succeed on the court made him proud but watching the girls who he thought of as his kids succeed off the court was more important than any game could've been.

"I loved working with the girls. They were willing to learn and develop talents and I had a great experience over those 30 years," he said.