Merced Union High School District

Even though Mike Hammar has been coaching high school track & field since 1995 he still gets those butterflies when he walks into the big meets like Arcadia, Stanford or the CIF State Meet. Hammar has had a thrower compete at state nine times, including a six-year run with his daughters Rachel and Becca while coaching at Buhach Colony. 

 

Hammar has had a tremendous impact on track & field in Merced County in his three decades of coaching. So when the Buhach Colony and Atwater high coaches set out to host a meet for the first time in Buhach Colony’s new stadium they wanted to give the event a meaningful name. “It felt right to name it after someone who has truly made an impact on track and field,” said Buhach Colony coach Curtis McClure. “Since we were collaborating with Atwater, coach Kenneth Rhoades, coach Roger Johnson, and I talked through who that person should be. When we came to Mr. Hammar, it just made sense. It felt like the right choice.”

 

On Saturday, March 28th, the first-ever Black and Blue Hammar Invitational will be held at Buhach Colony’s new stadium. Hammar’s reaction: “At least invitational sounds better than memorial,” he said. “I told a friend you know you’re officially old when they start naming track meets after you. But it’s an honor, especially because it’s my alma mater Atwater High and Buhach Colony, where I helped open up.”

 

It’ll be just the second time Buhach Colony has hosted a track meet in its new stadium, following the CCC Center meet scheduled for Wednesday. It’s an opportunity for the program to showcase its new facility.  “It give us a lot of pride to be able to host a track meet at our new stadium,” McClure said. “This is my third season at Buhach Colony and the athletes in our program have been looking forward to this opportunity. They care about the sport, they enjoy competing, and now they get the chance to showcase that at their own facility. What stands out most about this group is the way they approach track and field. They show up, put in work, have a lot of fun and take pride in being part of something bigger than themselves. Being able to compete at home is something they’ve earned, and it means a lot to them. I’m excited to see athletes set new venue records, knowing they’ll set the standard for future competitors to chase and surpass.”

 

Hammar graduated from Atwater High in 1981 and went on to compete in track and field at Modesto Junior College and Stanislaus State. He was a longtime teacher and administrator at MUHSD. He dove in to coaching track when his kids got involved. He traveled all around the country to youth track meets with his son Michael and daughters Rachel and Becca. Coaching his kids was the highlight of his coaching career and if you ask him about it he’ll get choked up. Rachel earned a track scholarship to Long Beach State and Becca signed with Stanford. 

 

“At times you want to stop and soak it in, you're at Arcadia Invitational and your baby girl is throwing,” Hammar said. “Or you’re looking across the kitchen table and the Penn State coach is in your house, recruiting your girl. The moments I’ll remember is during that six-year stint with Rachel and Becca and those long car rides to meets, where we’re just chatting, talking, eating meals together. You know, what dad gets that?”

Hammar helped Golden Valley open and then made stops coaching at Buhach Colony. While working as an administrator in the District, Hammar had to step away from coaching. He returned after retirement and today he splits his time coaching throwers at both Atwater and Golden Valley. Johnson coached with Hammar at Golden Valley and Buhach Colony and says Hammar helped his throwers set the stanford at both schools. 

 

“His return to coaching after retirement from education has again placed his knowledge in the sport he briefly left behind,” Johnson said. “He has used his knowledge and prowess as a coach to change record books at the high schools once again. He has never refused to share his knowledge and expertise with other coaches and athletes. At the same time, he has respected others by not over-stepping any boundaries. I have learned strategies, philosophy, and techniques from Mike that I have used and continue to utilize as a foundation in my coaching.”

 

Hammar’s impact goes beyond his athletes. He wants part of his legacy to be helping the younger coaches he’s working with every day. Hammar’s coaching has adapted with new technology and he has embraced the use of video. He videos each practice session and track meet. He uploads all the videos to a Google folder for each of his athletes. He’ll even find video of elite throwers with similar body types so his athletes can emulate what they do. 

 

“In an era where many old school coaches might be reticent about technology, Mike embraces it; he films throwers to critique their form, putting his athletes side by side with world record holders to show them that they can do the same things that the best do,” Rhodes said. “He breaks throwing down to its many parts but doesn't lose sight of the picture. Many of the top throwers in the area over the last 20-plus years were throwers that Mike coached at some level.”

 

Hammar doesn’t plan on stepping away from coaching anytime soon. He has a niece in middle school that he hopes to help coach when she gets to high school. There will be plenty of big meets in Hammars’ future and other throwers will benefit from his coaching. “He splits time with GV and AHS, allowing him to directly benefit two groups of athletes, but he also works with youth throwers and is an advisor to others and a sounding board for other coaches,” Rhodes said. “Ultimately, Mike is positive, authoritative yet humble, and even if he likes to call himself the ‘assistant to the assistant’ coach, it is understood that he is the keeper of the knowledge and wisdom for the throws.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.