Kamiak wrestling coach Doug Baer is far from forgotten in Iraq

MUKILTEO — Doug Baer rips open the care package like it's a Christmas present.

Amid his second tour of duty in Iraq, there is no more welcome sight than the box of Kamiak High School wrestling T-shirts, headgear, a team poster, even a juice box and cookie.

But something else catches Baer's eye: a DVD of a recent wrestling meet.

Seven months ago, the 38-year-old was hired to take over a Knights wrestling program rife with expectations as the defending WesCo South champ. And after a summer preseason camp in Leavenworth, Baer and coaches agreed that this year's group had the makings of something special.

A September call from the Army National Guard changed everything.

Now, when packages arrive from interim coach Tracy Regan every week or two, Baer can forget about managing construction projects in a rebuilding Iraq for a few minutes.

As he pops in the DVD, Baer is no longer a captain working with the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. He's just like any other high-school coach watching his team.

Except he's half-a-world away wearing fatigues.

"There was never a doubt that I'd be in contact with the team while deployed," said Baer in an e-mail from Camp Ramadi.

"As in wrestling, you won't always win every match you have in life. But if you prepare and discipline yourself you will know how to face adversity and work through challenges."

— Baer's voice message to his team, played before a meet

Baer's presence is still felt every day by the Kamiak wrestling team. He is there for all the grueling conditioning. He is there every time a wrestler struggles to make weight. He is there for every two-legged takedown, reversal and pin.

And even though he has yet to coach a dual meet, Baer is beloved by the program and the Mukilteo community that awaits his return next fall.

"Doug is away right now, and we're supporting him as much as we can," said Regan, who works for Boeing during the day and exchanges e-mails almost every day with Baer. "I know once he gets back, and spends time he needs with wife and kids, he'll be right back here with the program."

Although this would have been his first year as head coach, Baer has known some of the Knights' wrestlers for six years. His relationships with many go back to when he was a history teacher and coach at nearby Olympic View Middle School.

Many of the students already know the story of the roadside bomb that exploded near his Humvee in Baer's two-year tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. That bomb killed one soldier, injured two others and left Baer without hearing in one of his ears.

Established relationships have made it easy for the school and community to come together in their support.

In an October pep assembly to send him off, the Snohomish County sheriff's department presented Baer with a blue-star service flag. It is raised every day with the American and Washington state flags on campus to signify having a relative in active duty.

"He's our family, and we're thinking about him twice a day," said Dan Hanika, Baer's predecessor as wrestling coach and current director of wrestling operations.

"If in your heart you know you've done everything possible to prepare for a match and you step on to the mat and give it everything you have, regardless of the final outcome you have succeeded."

— Baer's voice message to his team played before a meet

Each wrestler remembers different things about Baer, but none can forget his militaristic style. Classroom punishment in his history classes sometimes seemed more like boot camp.

"He'd make you do push-ups," said junior Nate Regan, coach Tracy Regan's son and one of nine Kamiak qualifiers for this weekend's Class 4A Regional tournament in Snohomish.

Said team co-captain John Linari: "He's funny, but there's always a hint of seriousness to him."

Regan and Linari also remember an emotional 15-minute meeting after the pep rally when Baer addressed his team for the last time. Behind the tough exterior, is a coach that loves the sport, loves the chance to be a positive influence in kids' lives and loves Kamiak wrestling.

"This team is filled with esprit and camaraderie rivaled by none. Each wrestler knows they are a part of something bigger than themselves. I can't stress enough the sense of family that binds this team together."

— A Baer e-mail message about his team

The ultimate display of togetherness came Jan. 16 in a dual meet against Jackson of Mill Creek — a meet dedicated to Baer.

The Knights wrestlers warmed up to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" in camouflage T-shirts with a hint of Kamiak purple. Baer's 13-year-old son, Conor, was named an honorary team captain. Baer's wife, Jane, watches with their two 9-year-old twin daughters.

In a surprise to a packed crowd, Doug Baer addressed the crowd through a voice message that included words of encouragement and inspiration.

The Knights won the meet in honor of their coach 48-27, but as Baer said in his message, it wasn't about the final score.

"You could feel the buzz, the energy level in the whole gymnasium when you came in here. It was great," Tracy Regan said. "We had a great student section, great community support, and the kids were into it. The guys came out with John Linari leading the way with the American flag. The kids just fed off the whole event. It was a special night."

As Kamiak's wrestlers prepare for more special nights leading up to the Mat Classic state championships in Tacoma, they are assured that their coach — while halfway around the world — is still committed to the Knights.

"It's nice to know he's still in our corner," Nate Regan said.