When he first took up wrestling as a sixth-grader in 1976, Patrick Kelly probably wasn’t looking at the experience as an introduction to a 30-year relationship with the sport.

Wrestling was a fledgling program in the Camden-Rockport school system back then, a far cry from its current status as one of the elite programs statewide at the high school level.

Kelly has had much to do with that, as a state champion wrestler at 138 pounds as a high school senior, as a volunteer assistant coach for the high school team in the early 1990s, as a paid assistant from 1996 to 2002, and as head coach at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport for the last four years.

No doubt there will be some separation anxiety when the Windjammers take to the mat for preseason practices in November with Kelly’s recent decision to step down from that coaching position as well as that of boys cross country coach at Camden Hills.

Kelly called it a “multi-layered” decision that centered largely on family reasons. He and his wife have two daughters ages 13 and 2 and are expecting their third child later this year.

“I thought I could probably handle coaching again this year, but didn’t want to take a chance on letting them down,” said Kelly, who teaches biology and oceanology at Camden Hills and also has started a driver’s education business. “It was a very, very hard decision for me, but ultimately it was the right one.

“I feel as though my family is my team now.”

Kelly took over the head coaching duties from his brother John in 2002 and guided the Windjammers to three Class B state championships, four Eastern Maine Class B titles, four Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference crowns, and an overall meet record of 117-5, counting preseason meets.

Camden Hills placed second in the 2006 state meet behind Mountain Valley of Rumford.

“We’ve got eight state finalists coming back to the team next year, so I didn’t want to give it up,” said Kelly. “I feel like I couldn’t have left it a stronger program. I think there’s a bright future for Windjammer wrestling.”

But Camden Hills wrestling wasn’t always at such a high level.

When Kelly joined the high school program as a freshman in 1979, he had just three teammates. Kelly finished third in the state at 105 pounds that year – the final year there was just one class in Maine high school wrestling – marking the outset of a strong individual career.

Kelly’s sophomore season was cut short by a broken ankle, but he placed second in the state at 126 pounds as a junior and won a state championship as a senior before moving on to the University of Maine where he competed from 1983 to 1987.

During the same period, the Camden-Rockport team experienced a steady growth in numbers, leading to success of dynastic proportions – including six straight state titles from 2000 to 2005.

“It’s really been all about pride and representation,” Kelly said, “representing their school and themselves and the pride in Windjammer wrestling.

“I’m just glad I discovered wrestling 30 years ago.”

Parker lands Lee post

Carl Parker, who recently retired as athletic director and dean of students at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, is the new postgraduate coordinator at Lee Academy.

In that capacity, Parker will oversee the 14 or 15 postgraduate students who attend Lee Academy, with duties including monitoring their academic progress as well as coaching the school’s postgraduate basketball team. Parker replaces Brian McDormand, who oversaw the first year of the program and recently was hired as the girls varsity basketball coach at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln.

“First of all, Carl’s been a highly successful high school coach,” said Lee headmaster Bruce Lindberg. “He’s also had experience at MCI and in the AAU ranks, so he has an understanding of the NCAA rules and regulations and the academic side as well as the athletic side.

“It’s a perfect match for us.”

A Lincoln native and resident of Bangor, Parker is a former boys varsity basketball coach at Bangor High School and Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, as well as an assistant coach for four years under Max Good with the Maine Central Institute postgraduate team.

He also has been one of the leaders of the state’s AAU basketball movement since helping to establish it in 1991. He has coached numerous teams to AAU national tournament appearances. His success in the AAU ranks helped land Parker a berth in 2000 as an assistant coach at the third USA Basketball Men’s Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Over the years coaching has been a big passion for me,” said Parker. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a wide variety of players, and working at MCI with Max at this level has always intrigued me.

“I’ve also known Bruce to be a go-getter who wants to do things right and wants things to be done right, so I think I’ve got a good feel for the responsibilities of the job.”

Those responsibilities not only include basketball but helping the postgraduates prepare for the academic part of their experience.

“Coaching at the prep level, you’re dealing with kids who have made a decision that they want to play college basketball,” Parker said. “Academically, we need to see that they’re headed in the right direction. If we don’t do a good job of getting them academically prepared, then we haven’t done our job.”