The Ultimate Sports Fan

It is simply not what you expect.

Ask any one who knows Jamesville-DeWitt High School English teacher Courtney Romeiser, and you will learn about a personality that breaks the stereotypical, cookie-cutter idea of a teacher. Actually, Mrs. Romeiser can't even be compared to a cookie-cutter; this ultimate sports fan would much rather have game-day nachos, rooting for one of her plethora of favorite sports squads.

To really get a feel for who Mrs. Romeiser is you have to understand her background, one that would make any athlete weep. During her four years of high school at Red Jacket Central High in New York, she led her basketball team to the 1989 Section V Class C title. Oh, and she holds that school's record for most three-point field goals in one quarter. This list of awards and achievements include a total of 1,855 career high school points, being named the McDonalds All-Star Game's MVP, and receiving a full ride to play basketball at Marquette University where the honors and achievements continued to roll on.

Not feeling inferior yet?

She also played Professional Women's Football for the Empire Roar out of Western New York.

Ms. Romeiser's list of favorite teams is pretty diverse: Marquette Golden Eagles, North Carolina Tarheels, Gonzaga Bull Dogs, New York Yankees, Boston Celtics, New York Giants, and Anthony Kim from the PGA.

Ms. Romeiser has solid reasons she loves each of her favorite teams. For example, the Gonzaga Bulldogs: "I've like their style and their rise from a competitive mid-major program to a force in the NCAA tournament," says Ms. Romeiser. "They always have good guard play, and they play an up-tempo, hard nosed style."

Although she has the facts to justify her loyalty, she also has some fun with why she likes certain players and teams. For example, she likes Kim for his bold personality and cool belt buckles.

Even though Ms. Romeiser breaks the English teacher stereotype, she conforms to the stereotype of the ultimate sports fan quite well, as she describes some of her favorite sports memories: "Freezing at my first Notre Dame football game. I was in college, and I was offered tickets from a former teammate," she says. "I sat on freezing metal bleachers with someone's knees in my back and my knees in someone else's - we were packed in like sardines, but I did see Jerome Bettis (former fullback for Notre Dame and the Pittsburgh Steelers) pound the ball in the end zone from the one yard line a few times."

This deep-hearted love for sports hasn't dropped out of the sky for Ms. Romeiser. Her grandfather, Dan O'Donnell, was a catcher on the professional level. "Many of my favorites became so during my youth. Growing up in a sports-centered family, we talked sports at every meal and most of our leisure time was spent playing or spectating," she explains.

The love for sports radiates from this ultimate sports fan when she is talking, "I've been a die-hard Yankee fan since the 1970s - through the good and the bad times," says Ms. Romeiser. "I've owned stock in the Celtics and celebrated and suffered with the Giants over the years. To sum it up, my die-hard connections to teams come from family influences - bonding with my grandfather, father, and brothers." Ms. Romeiser is passing this love for sports down to her nephew, by recently painting his room in Yankee pinstripes, with a color called Yankee Pinstripe.

These family connections have led Ms. Romeiser to have some pretty cool sports gear that shows off her love and passion for certain teams.

Ms. Romeiser often wears team colors. She has a lot of Carolina apparel, like game shorts, sweatshirts, hats/visors, t-shirts, and "two really cool Yankees sweatshirts. I mean, they are still navy and white and say New York or Yankees, but they are from unique collections sold at ridiculous prices from Cooperstown Connection," she says. Also in her treasure chest of apparel is a Giants hat signed by Jason Sehorn, former defensive back.

Not only does Ms. Romeiser dominate the games she plays and cheer with dedication, she has a deep respect for the true meaning of what sports are. Mrs. Romeiser has attended tons of big times events like the 1995 Ryder Cup. "The Ryder Cup in Rochester was incredible. To see the patriotic nature of Americans, and the many Europeans who flock to this event to cheer for their guys, is a great experience," she says.

Ms. Romeiser even marvels over Triple-A baseball, a level that most people overlook. "Triple A baseball offers insights into the guys who really love to play as they fight for chances to make it to the 'bigs' as they play for peanuts in small- to medium- sized stadiums," she says.

The stories of Courtney Romeiser's love for sports could go on and on, and probably turned into a novel. Her appreciation for real sports qualities is rare; not many people see the value in young baseball teams. Then add this to the fact that she is an English teacher. The only way to wrap up this ultimate sports fan is in her own words: "I prefer to participate, but I love to watch because of the range of emotions and the great excitement of rooting for a favorite team. Sometimes it makes me wish I had four more years of NCAA eligibility!"

Honorable Mention:
Paul Gasparini, principal- Mets baseball.
Tom Bennett, history teacher- Colgate University hockey.
Jeff Ike, gym teacher- Syracuse and Ithaca Athletics.
Joseph Robiero, history teacher- Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Cowboys