June 9, 2025 by Owen Dagostino (‘25)
When Jon Hoek was 11, his foster father pulled a broken-down lawn mower from the back of his car. It didn’t look like much of a gift — in fact, it looked like junk. But for Hoek, it was the start of a lifelong mission: care for others, work hard, and leave things better than you found them.
“My mentor was my foster father. I went to a foster home when I was two years old. My foster father was an immigrant from Italy, and he taught me all the lessons I needed to know in life. He brought a beat-up lawn mower home from the dump and told me it was a present. He showed me how to clean the carburetor, replace the spark plug, sharpen the blade… and I started mowing lawns when I was 11. When I went off to college in 1968, I had $5,000 in the bank.”
In 1950, nearly 450,000 children were in foster care in the U.S. Few would go on to coach for more than half a century — but that’s exactly what Hoek did.
He’s been coaching high school track and field for over 50 years. And for students like Nicky Baldwin, a senior sprinter and team captain at Saratoga Springs High School, Hoek has become more than just a coach.
“I first met Hoek my freshman year, and my first impression was that he’s a good coach who helps boys become men… kind of a little crazy about track. Over time, he became one of those coaches I could talk to about life, not just track. We’d talk about training, school, reading — everything. We became close even though he doesn’t coach sprints.”
Hoek has coached nearly every event — distance, sprints, vaults — but today, he focuses on shot put and discus. He still brings the same passion he had when he started coaching at Arkport Central School in Hornell, New York, in 1974.
“A lot of people my age — I’m 75 — believe that kids today are very different than they were back in the day, but they’re not. Hanging around with great kids keeps me young. I also feel I have a storehouse of track and field knowledge I can pass on — and that’s what I really love.”
But Hoek’s lessons go far beyond technique.
“He gives all the speeches about just how to be a good person above all else,” Baldwin said. “One of his quotes is, ‘I’m not just here to teach you track — I’m here to teach you how to be a good man.’ And that just guides you.”
Hoek’s legacy is also celebrated by his colleagues. Chris Conley, head coach of the boy’s track and field team at Saratoga Springs High School, first met Hoek nearly two decades ago.
“I met Coach Hoek about 17 years ago at a track meet. He just seemed like a very wise coach. He’s always the same person — very honest, very real, and does everything for everybody else.”
Conley added that Hoek’s consistency and willingness to help others is something the entire team benefits from.
“He is the person that brings a lot of experience and grounds the rest of the team. Whatever you need — coaching or knowledge — he’s there to inspire them because of his passion for the sport.”
After graduating from Alfred University, where he ran cross country and the mile, Hoek joined the Army through an ROTC program. In 1970, around 25,000 college students were enrolled in ROTC programs nationwide. Hoek was among them.
“In college, I went to ROTC and was commissioned into the Signal Corps. When I came out, Vietnam was winding down, so I entered a reserve unit — an engineer unit. In the summer, I’d supervise a company of advanced infantry training. I was a captain when I got out — kind of ironic, because my last name is Hoek… so I’m Captain Hoek for the rest of my life.”
He jokes about the title, but not about what the military taught him.
“In training, the lowest ranking person who ever served in combat was a much greater soldier than I ever was.”
Even now, Hoek isn’t afraid to speak up for his athletes. One of his frustrations is how throwing events are often pushed to the side — both physically and metaphorically.
“We’re always shuffled off to a site that’s not close to spectators. Some venues are unsafe, and I don’t like that. At our school, we launch a disc onto the tennis court. I don’t like that.”
Still, it’s not the frustration that defines him. It’s the care — shown in moments both big and small. Baldwin remembers one summer practice.
“It was like a 90° day. I probably shouldn’t have been running alone, but I was. Coach Hoek waited and watched me finish my whole workout — just in case I passed out. That helped lead to my good season.”
Hoek’s dedication extends beyond his athletes’ performances. It’s about shaping them into better people — a quality that sets him apart as both a coach and a mentor.