Paul Kotlerjahn
Contributor | 2008
Paul Kolterjahn was involved in adaptive sports for more than three decades and in that time he demonstrated an unselfish dedication to all athletes with a disability. His wheelchair sports career went back to his days as an official at the National Wheelchair Games on the Bulova campus. In 1991, he was the head track official for the National Junior Disability Championships held at Princeton University. It was then that he found that coaching was something that he wanted to do especially on the junior level.
Paul coached the Children’s Lightning Wheels for years but also freely shared his knowledge with athletes of other parents, athletes and coaches. Paul consistently helped with the running of meets including helping with registration, field pit assignments and seeding track heats – early on this was done by the old cut and paste method – replaced by the SAMS games management program which Paul used to assist with the set-up for the track & field meets, several of the Tri-State meets and also Junior Nationals. Paul was the head of the logistics team for the 2001, 2008 and 2015 Junior Nationals as well as co-meet director for those events.
Paul strived to be the best that he could be by attending courses that legitimized his credibility as a coach and as an official. He certified as a USATF Level 1 Coach, a USA Archery Level 1 Instructor and a USATF National Level Official with an IPC certification. He attended Paralympic coaches training courses in Colorado Springs. He was the starter and field official not only at meets in the Tri-State area but also at other regional and national competitions. Watching Paul officiate a weightlifting competition with his self-made weight chart was educational and entertaining!
Paul devoted much of his personal time to doing things for the good of the Tri-State Wheelchair Athletics region. He helped to organize and set-up the field boxes and transported the equipment. He even had an idea on how to create “platforms” for the field chairs so they could be used on turf or hard surfaces.
Paul was a person of great integrity and a role model for everyone. He was consistent in his approach to dealing with the athletes, treating them all fairly. When he had to disqualify an athlete he did so with a full explanation so that the experience was a learning opportunity. What was also very unique about Paul was that he came from the financial business world, his children didn’t have a disability and yet he unselfishly devoted over 30 years of his life to working with individuals with special needs.
