As a teacher, athletic director, and coach, Bill Attewell had a storied career at Cuyahoga Heights High School (CHHS). A 1953 grad himself, Attewell was CHHS’s first state champion in the pole vault in 1953 at 11 ft. 6 in. Though he retired from his education career in 1996, he continued to coach student athletes, specializing in the pole vault. Over the years, several athletes advanced to compete at the state level. Today, at the age of 90, he continues to be a respected and beloved member of the coaching staff.
“He likes to keep things fun,” said Doug Amari, fellow track coach, and himself, one of Attewell’s former students. “The students nowadays affectionately call him ‘grandpa.’ He has high expectations, but he mixes that with a sense of humor and grandfatherly likeability.
According to Amari, Attewell’s own experience as a pole vaulter, gives him intimate knowledge of the sport. “He is an expert technician in terms of breaking the event into different phases so that the athletes can master the techniques. He quickly embraced technology as a coaching tool and uses an iPad to film the athletes and give them feedback on what they are doing. He creates drills to help teach different phases of the sport so that the kids can develop the muscle memory to master the event,” Amari noted.
Under Attewell’s direction, the program has produced an incredible number of athletes who advanced to compete in the pole vault at the state level, including at least two who were state runners-up. Attewell’s commitment to the students is in and of itself legendary. Amari recalled an instance when Attewell was hospitalized. “He got released from the hospital that Saturday morning and he had his son drive him straight to Columbus so he could coach a student athlete at the state meet,” Amari recalled.
Attewell joined CHHS as a physical education teacher in the 1957 58 school year. He later taught industrial arts and coached football for 20 years as well as basketball and track. In the early ‘60s, he started the summer baseball program and was its first coach for the initial years of its existence. The program continued until 1975.
Coaches and athletes from numerous schools have sought Attewell’s expertise in the pole vault. “He never worried about helping the competition to improve. He just wanted to promote the pole vault as an event,” noted Amari. At one point, he took a break from coaching at CHHS to coach his son at Valley Forge High School. Back at CHHS, he coached grandson Stephen in 2013 and 2014; and granddaughters, Samantha, who went on to represent CHHS in the state championship in 2015; and Stefani, who was a regional finalist in 2019. He also coached an athlete from Independence at the state meet.
“What makes Bill so successful is his positive approach to everything he does,” said CHHS art teacher and fellow coaching colleague John Shafer. “Bill challenges his athletes to learn from mistakes and to make adjustments from there. He is constantly studying his craft and trying to add to it. He also has a relentless competitive spirit – he celebrates challenges and encourages his athletes to embrace competitive opportunities. Anyone that has had the pleasure of working with or competing for Bill will forever carry the many valuable lessons that he has taught and demonstrated through his lifelong dedication to people and sports.”
“Coach Attewell’s dedication to pole vault at Cuyahoga Heights has touched the lives of three generations of athletes,” said Athletic Director Ryan Kelber. “His unwavering commitment to the sport goes far beyond just teaching technique — he builds character, instills confidence, and creates traditions that have become the backbone of our track program.”
Pictured: Coach Bill Attewell with granddaughters Stefani Attewell (CHHS Class of 2019, left) and Samantha Attewell (Class of 2016, right).
