IN SPORTS: LODI FOOTBALL COACH STEPS BACK
Robert Sperling was looking forward to building on the progress the Lodi High football team made under his watch last season.
But now he’s focused on a different kind of progress: his health, which took a major setback four months ago.
In a phone call to the NewsSentinel on Thursday, Sperling, 42, said he has resigned as Lodi football coach after five seasons because of health reasons. He said he submitted his resignation to the school’s administration on April 20.
Sperling, who works as a campus supervisor at the high school, recently came home from a local hospital recovering from acute pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas, located near the stomach. On Feb. 15, which was his wife Rhonda’s birthday, Sperling was admitted to the hospital for what he thought were flu-like symptoms.
“I thought I had the worst flu ever,” Sperling said. “Then it got to the point that I was in so much pain. I was vomiting non-stop; I couldn’t keep water down and couldn’t sleep for two days. Then I went to the emergency room, and thank God I did. My blood pressure was high, my white blood cells were off pace.”
Sperling had two surgeries for the acute pancreatitis. He was not allowed to eat or drink water; an IV unit hooked into his arm that fed him daily.
“I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink for 28 days,” Sperling said.
During his time at the hospital, it was discovered that Sperling had gallstones that has broken free and were logged into his bile ducts. That led to an 11-inch cyst on the top part of the pancreas.
“That created a lot more problems,” explained Sperling. “You can’t operate on the gall bladder until the cyst is gone.”
Sperling said his gallbladder will be surgically removed in his third surgery this year. He said that his doctors have told him that the surgery will take place after the cyst is mostly to completely gone. At this time, the surgery could take place next month, possibly going into July.
“They are hoping that the cyst will drain on its own,” Sperling said. “I’m doing better now, but it was touch and go for awhile.”
Sperling said that the full recovery could take six to eight months.
At the end of last football season, Sperling said he weighed 365 pounds. But in the last four months, he’s lost 103 pounds, down to 262. Since he went home last week, all he can eat is soft foods such as soup and smoothies.
“The last two weeks, I’m starting to feel better,” Sperling said. “The multiple medications are starting to work; it took awhile to get used to them. Health wise, I got to get healthy; I have to win this battle.”
He has been doing a lot of walking to continue to lose weight.
“I’m walking every day,” Sperling said. “The big thing is the strict diet, eating healthy.”
Returning players from last year’s team, plus players who were on Lodi frosh-soph football squad have been taking part in weight training before, during and after Sperling’s medical procedures.
Last season, Lodi posted a 1-4 record in the Tri-City Athletic League and 46 overall. But entering its final game of the season against rival Tokay, which rallied for a 19-14 win, Lodi only needed one more win in the TCAL to be considered for an at-large SacJoaquin Section playoff berth. High school football teams only needed two league wins to be considered for an atlarge berth last fall.
On top of that, the Lodi frosh-soph football team went 5-4 and the freshman squad 7-3. The success on the lower levels Sperling feels will continue to improve in upcoming seasons. In four of the last five seasons during Sperling’s tenure, the Lodi varsity football teams have only posted a .500 record, while falling below that in the other seasons.
“All three levels were competitive last year,” Sperling said. “We’ve got some real good young guys coming back; lot of skilled guys who were sophomores last year. We have a real good freshmen class ... I think they are going to be pretty competitive.”
Sperling said offensive coordinator Greg Bishop and the rest of the Flames’ varsity football assistant coaches have been overseeing spring drills that started earlier this week and run until next week.
“They have been doing basic stuff, plus weights and plyometrics,” Sperling said.
Sperling would love to return to coaching football this upcoming season. But only after his physicians give him medical clearance.
“I’d like to be back coaching in some capacity; maybe this year if not next year,” Sperling said. “As a head coach of varsity football you have to be at 100 percent. I have to do what’s right for me and the program at the same time. It’s been an honor to coach there.”
According to Lodi High Principal Bob Lofsted, the search for a new Lodi football head coach is under way. The position is being advertised on the edjoin.org website. The closing date for qualified applicants is Wednesday, May 24.
“The interviews will be scheduled as soon as possible, at the appropriate date and time,” Lofsted said.
When asked how many people have applied, he declined to answer, saying it is a “personnel issue.”
Lofsted noted that Lodi would like to have its new football head coach in place soon after the closing date of applications. “As soon as the process allows,” Lofsted said. “We will want to get that person installed ASAP to start coordinating with the existing (coaching) staff, and to coordinate summer training/activities.”
Having an on-campus coach would be ideal, Lofsted said.
“While there are certain obvious advantages to having on-site staff members also coach for the schools they work for, the majority of our coaches have full-time jobs elsewhere, and coach our teams after hours,” Lofted said. “Lodi Unified School District teachers in the district who have the appropriate qualifications and experience to coach a sport are given first priority over outside candidates. Ultimately, however, the level of qualification is the most critical aspect of the hiring process.”
Sperling said he’s grateful for fellow TCAL football coaches, including Tokay’s Michael Holst, and many more people to visit Sperling, if not texted or call to see how he’s been doing in recent months. This includes faculty, staff, students and football players. Most importantly the people Sperling wants to thank — the doctors and nurses at the hospital he stayed at.
“Everyone has been awesome at Lodi High,” Sperling said. “They are checking on me and checking on me. They are such great people. When people come and check up on you, it’s helped me get through it. We are family.”