Matt Wolski stands with his daughter Madalynne at their home August 25, 2015. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
By Mary Ann Tarr
Sports have played a major role in Matt Wolski’s life for as long as he can remember. To this day, they still do.
He came onto the Hamilton Township baseball scene as a Little Leaguer on the Nottingham all-star team that was one of the final four squads playing in the 1992 World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Suffice it to say, Nottingham would not have gotten to the Little League World Series without Wolski on the roster. He was that good.
He also grabbed well-deserved headlines at Steinert High School and Rutgers University, where he continued to earn all-star acclaim. During a four-year varsity career in baseball at SHS, Wolski was the second baseman and a driving force behind two state championship baseball teams, a Mercer County Tournament champ and three Colonial Valley Conference champions from 1995-98. Wolski was first-team All-CVC and All-Area for three straight seasons. He was first-team All-Group III as a sophomore and first-team All-Group IV as a senior. He made the All-State team in 1998.
He was also a soccer all-star in high school. Wolski was first-team All-CVC and second-team All-Area his senior year, and earned All-State status. He was team MVP for two straight years, made the Coaches Select first team and the Soccer Coaches of N.J. second team as a junior, and was on the Hibernian’s Senior 11 team as a senior. His two-sport prowess made him the Spartan of the Year as a senior.
Wolski went on to play four seasons at Rutgers, where the Knights won a Big East title and made three NCAA Regional appearances. Wolski earned Big East All-Conference honors, and was named N.J. Collegiate Baseball Association’s Division I Player of the Year as a senior.
After a one-year stint as an assistant at Rider University, he was named the head coach at MCCC in 2005. In six seasons, he led the Vikings to six consecutive regional appearances and his team won the Region XIX crown in 2007, the same year he was named NJCAA Coach of the Year.
A lot has happened with Wolski since he was featured in the June 2009 edition of the Hamilton Post after his fourth season as the head baseball coach at Mercer County Community College. Some of his latest roles have been quieter, but no less important. Once he got past the astronomically challenging wish to be a professional baseball player—“reality set in,” he said—he settled into the desirable spot he currently inhabits.
Reality is pretty darn good for Wolski, who has been the JV baseball coach for the last four seasons at Steinert High, his alma mater. He is married to the former Meridith Tymon and together they have two children. He teaches social studies at Crockett Middle School.
“Now I’m full-fledged into it,” said Wolski, who relishes his roles as husband, father, teacher and coach.
Baseball is the biggest part of his athletic legacy, and he still is ranked among the statistical leaders in the record books at Steinert, Rutgers and with the Hamilton Post 31 American Legion program. He still maintains a busy schedule as a high school soccer and high school and college basketball referee. Wolski is also content to teach and be a JV baseball coach.
“I love it,” Wolski said. “The best part about teaching—you’re with kids and being with kids in a school setting keeps you young.”
He also knows that it is rewarding to be around young athletes. He also has those youngsters at home, who have already dipped their toes in the sports water.
“We’re doing hit lessons in the backyard,” Wolski said, vowing that there is no pressure on his kids. “I don’t want to be that crazy dad, you’d rather have your kids enjoy it first and then if they like it, you can do more. They both do soccer. Madalynne dances and I think she’ll play basketball in the winter.”
Like her younger brother, Matthew, she’ll play baseball when she’s old enough, following in her mother and aunt Aimee’s footsteps—both played baseball at Nottingham Little League.
There is an excellent chance that sports will continue to be a part of Wolski’s life. With the opportunities on the horizon, many may become fond memories for the family man and the educator.
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