For Steve "Sharky" Nagelschmidt, the Clark Sports Center is like being home.

After all, the 52-year-old grew up in Cooperstown going to the old ACC gym, and after four years in the service after high school, became a member of the gym's staff on Nov. 9, 1972. His official title is currently program specialist and coach, but in reality he does a little bit of everything.

'In the beginning at the old gym my job was to clean the pool and at 4 o'clock we had a kickball game for all the kids," Nagelschmidt said Tuesday. "It was a great family atmosphere at the old gym."

Over the years, Nagelschmidt's responsibilities began to expand. Especially when Pat Fetterman came to the gym in the mid-1970's and began the biddy basketball program for third through sixth graders.

"I've probably refereed more games than anyone," Nagelschmidt said. "If it wasn't for my association with the kids, I probably wouldn't have been here for this long. But I love that. Pat taught me a lot about how to treat kids. He was always fair, and if you're fair, and treat kids with respect, they respect you also."

Nagelschmidt has been around long enough now to have known generations of kids at the gym. He said he might be around long enough to see the current generation's children start coming to the gym.

"This place has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember," he said. "I've also had a chance to raise two great kids (Reid and Brooke) and see them go through the whole program. I look at the after school program as a way for the kids to come in and release some of the pressure from school. We just want them to have fun and be safe and avoid putting pressure on them."

Nagelschmidt has worked at the gym for four different directors, including the latest, CCS high school graduate Brad Feik, who Nagelschmidt has known all his life.

"I used to coach him, and now he's my boss," Sharky said.

"The kids just gravitate toward Sharky," Feik said. "When I come in I always hear Sharky this and Sharky that. The rapport he has with them is great, their eyes light up when he says `How you doing today?' He's been a tremendous asset to the gym, and is like a father-figure to a lot of these kids."

On his anniversary Thursday, Nagelschmidt was treated to a breakfast and told to take the rest of the day off. But, as fate would have it, Thursday was also opening day for the biddy basketball season.

"I've never missed an opening day of biddy basketball season, and I wasn't going to start this year," Nagelschmidt said. "I came back that afternoon."