As we head into a season for sharing, people such as Rob Conklin deserve plaudits.
A single season isn’t nearly enough time to gauge his unselfishness. As an educator for much of the last 50 years, his season for sharing is the entire year.
Conklin’s mind-set no doubt was influenced by his growing up in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. He decided that teaching and coaching would be his lifework.
“It was a calling for me,” Conklin explained from his office in the Denver Public Schools’ administration building. “Members of my extended family were teachers. But athletics were an important driving force for me. I became interested in coaching and working with high school-aged young people.”
Conklin’s interest in sports goes back to his high school days at Denver South. He participated in football, wrestling and track and field, but wrestling was his forte. He won state championships in 1949 and 1950 at 165 pounds.
Those experiences on the athletic fields haven’t been forgotten. Even today, they’re a reminder of what he frequently sees as missing in the lives of at-risk young people who have run into disciplinary problems. Conklin represents young people at expulsion hearings because of bad deeds.
“I see how important it is for young people to be involved in their school’s activities,” Conklin said. “It’s so much easier today for young people to get involved with things that will get them into trouble. If they’re involved in their school’s activities, they have a sense of belonging.”
While he recognizes all sponsored activities, Conklin has a high place for athletics.
“Athletics always have been and hopefully always will be part of the educational process,” Conklin said. “Taking part in sports activities means so much in growth and development.”
Conklin’s path to entering the teaching profession was interrupted by a stint in the Navy, serving on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War.
After graduating from DU, Conk- lin joined the faculty at South in the fall of 1960. It was a meaningful fall for the Denver Prep League with the addition of new high schools Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Lincoln to the longtime lineup of East, North, South, West and Manual.
“I really liked teaching high school English,” Conklin said of his assignment. “I was on the coaching staff as the head wrestling coach and an assistant in football, cross country and track and field.”
About that time, Conklin considered leaving the teaching profession for a career in law enforcement with the FBI, but those thoughts eventually went the way of thoughts of trying out for the 1952 Olympic wrestling team before the Korean War interrupted.
Conklin stayed at South until 1971, when he became the district’s athletic director.
He followed in the footsteps of Bill Greim and Chet O’Hanlon, two longtime amateur and high school sports leaders in Denver in the 1950s and 1960s.
Along with his post as district AD, Conklin also filled the district’s chair on the Board of Control of the Colorado High School Activities Association. His work took him to five halls of fame, including the National High School Hall of Fame.
Today, Conklin is a man about town in south Denver, where he has lived all his life. Rarely a day goes by that he doesn’t see a former student or someone connected to South High. On occasion, his twin brother Rich Conklin, a former principal at Thomas Jefferson High School, is in the area and people can’t tell them apart.
“The city has changed a lot,” Conklin said. “I remember when I was growing up, we played baseball in vacant lots. We knew all the people and there was a good feeling of community. The one thing that hasn’t changed — education opens doors.”
Conklin bio
Born: May 20, 1931, in Denver
High school: Denver South
College: University of Denver, University of Colorado
Family: Wife Shirley, son Gary, daughter Michelle
Hobbies: Golf, reading, yardwork
Back in business: After six months recovering from injuries in a fall, he’s back on the job.
