Teaching life lessons: Oldenburg Academy duo celebrates 20 years of coaching

Merle Hines, left, and Bertie Schmidt, right, are both celebrating 20 years of coaching students at Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg. (Submitted photo courtesy of Tim Boyle)

By Kamilla Benko

It could be called a love affair with coaching.

For 20 years, Merle Hines and Bertie Schmidt have coached students at Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg.

Hines, the boys and girls cross country coach and the track and field coach, and Schmidt, the girls tennis coach, said they have a deep love for the school that has been a part of their lives for the last two decades.

As soon as Hines stepped onto the academy’s campus, she said she knew it was holy ground.

“The Holy Spirit just took me,” she explained.

At that moment, Hines said she wanted to be a part of the school.

She became the school’s first development director and the first non-Catholic associate of the school operated by the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg.

Soon after, Hines—who has participated in 103 marathons in 44 states—began coaching, and eventually became the head coach of the cross country and track teams.

Hines joined the Oldenburg school community as an adult, but Schmidt has always had the academy in her life. She attended the school as a teenager, and her three daughters also attended the academy.

One of Schmidt’s daughters played tennis, and the school asked Schmidt if she would be interested in coaching that team.

“I love tennis and it worked with my schedule,” Schmidt said.

Along with her coaching job, Schmidt also operates Schmidt Bakery in Batesville with her husband, Clem. Her day starts at 5 a.m. when she ices the danishes, but her afternoons are just as full.

Schmidt oversees two-hour tennis practices every day after school during her teams’s season. When there is a match, Schmidt said she might be with the team for more than four hours.

Though it is a lot of work, Schmidt said she has stayed at the school for 20 years because, outside of her family, “the academy is my one love.”

Over the years, the coaches have seen a lot of changes at their school. Hines said the biggest adjustment occurred when the academy switched from an all-girls school to a co-ed school in 2000.

“Before, I always had the girl’s attention,” Hines joked. “Not anymore!”

But some things never change. Schmidt said sportsmanship is something she has always stressed to students.

“Even if you’ve had a bad game, you still need to respect and be kind to your opponent,” Schmidt said. “I teach the girls to play an honest game.”

Schmidt said both she and Hines try to teach life lessons to the students through sports.

Erin Gish, a senior runner at the academy, said Hines taught her life skills through running.

“Running has taught me that persistence leads to success, whether it be in running or in life,” she said.

Erin said Hines’s passion for running extends to her students.

Hines said the relationship she has built with the students is very important to her.

“It’s great keeping in touch with them over the years,” she said. “It’s not just coaching. It’s a lifelong relationship.”

Schmidt agreed.

“Students continue to maintain close friendships from the academy,” she said. “Faith, honesty and respect are stressed at the school.”

The coaches’ own faith and honesty has been noted by both students and administrators.

“I have a great deal of respect for Merle [Hines] and Bertie [Schmidt], and their dedication to Oldenburg Academy,” said Tim Boyle, Oldenburg Academy’s athletic director.

“[Their commitment to the school] is rooted in a deep personal love for their sport and for young people.” †