Zambanini leaves legendary legacy behind with Conemaugh Township
By Riley Holsinger,
2024-05-15
DAVIDSVILLE, Pa. (WTAJ) – Baseball has been a part of Sam Zambanini’s whole life.
“I grew up around baseball,” he said. “My parents met through baseball.”
Sam Zambanini is also synonymous with Conemaugh Township baseball. The 62-year-old was a standout for the Indians in the late 1970s and later became the program’s head coach in 1992, a position he’s held ever since.
Photo of Sam Zambanini playing for Conemaugh Township (Courtesy: Sam Zambanini)
“I got to do some special things like coach my son and my two nephews,” the 33-year Conemaugh Township head coach said. “My daughter ended up being our athletic trainer for a time before she moved away to Texas. Those things were all special.”
After the season, “Coach Z” is retiring from coaching and teaching at Conemaugh Township. He is looking to frequently visit his daughter in the Lonestar State as well as his son and grandson, who are now their own father and son duo on the diamond.
“I don’t know if I’m coaching them, but I’m going to be watching them a lot,” Zambanini said.
Before Zambanini turns into a spectator, he still has some innings left as Conemaugh Township’s leader as the district playoffs are quickly coming up to the plate.
“This season is about (the team). It’s their chapter,” he said. “We want to go out with a bang for these guys for what they’ve done.”
Sam Zambanini (right) coaches his son Arek (left) (Courtesy: Sam Zambanini)
Sam Zambanini’s nephew Dan (left) and daughter Kayla (right) (Courtesy: Sam Zambanini)
Sam Zambanini (right) with his grandson (left) after a game in Texas (Courtesy: Sam Zambanini)
Sam Zambanini (right) with former player and current Arizona Diamondbacks scout Rick Matsko at a World Series game last fall (Courtesy: Sam Zambanini)
Despite winning more than 450 baseball games at Conemaugh Township, Zambanini’s biggest win goes beyond the field.
“You see (former players) go out and succeed in life and that’s the special part,” he said. “When guys come back to visit at practices, games or school and tell you about the successes in their life, that’s the real rewarding part for me.”
Get daily updates on local news, weather and sports by signing up for the WTAJ Newsletter .
As for the emotional part, that will come when Zambanini’s final game is done.
“Until that final out of the season, that’s probably when it’s going to hit me,” he said. “That’s when it’s going to come to reality.”
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
Comments / 0