Everyone who is a fan of the Wadsworth Lady Grizzlies basketball team knows the name Charlie Kochy. Kochy is a big fan of the Lady Grizzlies and has been providing statistics on the team and keeping up with alumni for over 10 years. Beyond his interest in the Lady Grizzlies, Kochy has worked as a statistician for many different hockey teams, including 34 years working for professional teams.
Kochy grew up in Wadsworth and graduated from Wadsworth High School in 1964. He had a Beacon Journal paper route while in high school at a time in history when nearly every house on his route (Wolf, Good St, West Street, and Orchard) had delivery. He saved nearly every penny and in college, he started working for the Medina County Ohio Department of Transportation to help pay half of his college expenses at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
While in college, Kochy discovered a new hobby that would stick with him for the rest of his life.
“Looking for something to get into, I took a bus line that went through Wadsworth to Cleveland and walked up to East 36th and Euclid to the old Cleveland Arena and saw my first hockey game,” Kochy said. “I was hooked.”
Kochy went to Ohio University and was the official scorekeeper and statistician for their varsity hockey team. Kochy made a lot of connections, but the most impactful one was his connection with Bowling Green head coach Jack Vivian, who later became GM of the Cleveland Crusaders. With his help, Kochy began his pro hockey career at the Richfield Coliseum in 1974.
Kochy has worked for numerous teams and even spent his last 13 years working in the penalty box for the Cleveland Monsters, formerly known as the Lake Erie Monsters.
“I loved working in the penalty box and interacting with the timekeeper, penalty timekeeper, and the home penalty box attendant,” Kochy said. “I also liked calming down players in my visitor’s penalty box after being in an altercation.”
Hockey is known for its physical play and constant fighting. Kochy was as close to the action as anybody and would provide ice packs for the players after the fight.
Hockey is not Kochy’s only hobby; he is also a big fan of the Wadsworth Lady Grizzlies. Kochy started watching the Lady Grizzlies during the 2013-2014 season on advice from his barber Chuck Pfeister, who is the former president of the Wadsworth Board of Education.
“I could never get over the hump in following boys basketball,” Kochy said. “There is just something special about girls’ basketball.”
Kochy mentioned that a lot of his friends from high school also go to most of the Lady Grizzlies games, including his ninth-grade algebra teacher and former Wadsworth High School football coach, Lorrell Mast. Kochy sends his friends weekly Lady Grizzlies reports that focus on the current season and updates on alumni.
Coach Andrew Booth, who is in his 19th year of coaching, says that Kochy is one of a kind and the team really appreciates him.
“Charlie has been one of the Lady Grizzlies biggest supporters and fans for over 10 years,” Booth said. “He enjoys the way the girls compete and he represents our community in a positive way.”
Kochy retired from his pro hockey career during the Monsters 2022-2023 season. He spends a lot of his time with his family and continues to attend Lady Grizzlies games.
