‘Hands on’ athletic director sets retirement

Rocky Forte tells school board

he’ll retire at end of year
By:Sally Goldenberg
   An era is ending at Hillsborough High School.
   That is how administrators and coaches describe the news that after 26 years in a 34-year-old high school, Athletic Director Rocky Forte will bid adieu to the district.
   Mr. Forte announced his retirement to the Board of Education Jan. 27.
   "It’s mixed emotions after spending all this time here. It’s going to be tough to leave all the people here," Mr. Forte said.
   The 61-year-old athletic director said he will miss the coaches and students, but added: "It’s time."
   During Mr. Forte’s tenure in Hillsborough, the district has grown and jumped two ranks in the state’s four-tier system: from Group 2 to Group 4 over the past two decades.
   Students can now participate in seven new sports that have been added in the past 10 years or so, bringing the number of competitive sports in the district up to 24.
   In a district that has witnessed an enrollment boom of about 43.4 percent in 10 years, the athletic program has felt the effects of the growth as well. Mr. Forte said additional resources and students competing in sports will be his most vivid memories of his career.
   "It’s a tremendous growth," he said. "That’s the thing that pretty much sticks out in my mind.
   But his colleagues will remember more than the program’s expansion, said Superintendent of Schools Robert Gulick.
   Mr. Forte has made his mark in Hillsborough through his judicious treatment of athletes, Dr. Gulick said.
   "No matter how big the program got or how many outstanding athletes that evolved from our program … despite the fact that we had this growth … nothing has changed with respect to Rocky’s outlook with respect to the responsibility of athletes," Dr. Gulick said.
   Recently Mr. Forte advocated for random drug testing of athletes in the district. He said he has supported the controversial issue for years, advocating that it will help athletes who are using illegal drugs.
   In summarizing Mr. Forte’s approach, Dr. Gulick said: "Rocky does it the old-fashioned way."
   Mr. Forte emphasized academics in the face of a growing competitive athletic program — another component of his legacy, Dr. Gulick said.
   "Everybody, no matter how good they are, they follow the same standard," he said. "Academics remain paramount in Rocky’s program."
   HHS football coach Rick Mantz emphasized a different side of Mr. Forte, painting a picture of a director who works hands-on with the teams in Hillsborough.
   "He personally sets up the football field and gym on days of games and has worked year-round, even though he was only considered a 10-month employee," Mr. Mantz said. "He always found time to talk with an athlete or a coach and he serves as a role model for all of us."
   Mr. Forte anticipates he will return to his roots after retiring and look for a job as an assistant wrestling coach.
   After wrestling as a student in Somerville High School, Mr. Forte attended Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, where he won second place in the state conference and was on the national championship wrestling team.
   The Raritan Township resident received his supervisor’s and principal’s certification from Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, where he worked with the wrestling program.
   "I want to get back into wrestling if I could," he said.
   While Mr. Forte prepares for retirement, Mr. Mantz says finding a replacement may be difficult.
   "Rocky will be missed," he said. "Finding someone as dedicated, thorough, conscientious and caring will be very tough."