While he can’t always control game’s ups and downs, New Castle coach keeping his diabetes in check

By Joe Sager

New Castle News

A football game can stir up a tidal wave of emotions.

It’s a roller coaster of highs and lows as well as physical and mental exhaustion.

Now multiply that tenfold and you get some idea of what a high school head coach endures.

Joe Cowart goes through that every Friday night, just like thousands of other head coaches. For Cowart, though, it’s even more difficult. Cowart is a type 1 diabetic and the emotional swirl involved with coaching football is not exactly friendly to his blood sugar level.

“Maintaining my level is almost second nature, but it’s something you have to be aware of,” Cowart said. “With football being such an emotional game, it has a tendency to go up or down with an adrenaline rush.”

KEEPING WATCH

With constant monitoring, Cowart is able to counteract any peaks or valleys in his blood sugar level. However, managing a football game is a tough chore alone, especially with things happening at a quick pace.

That’s where assistant athletic trainer Vince Pavia takes on added responsibility. A type 1 diabetic as well, Pavia makes sure to test Cowart’s blood sugar level after each quarter.

“We check my sugar every quarter, right on the field, just to make sure I am not going up too high or down too low. It becomes regimented,” Cowart said. “We try not to make it a big deal. He and I both have little bags we bring on the field filled with fruit and other things. If my sugar goes too low, I can get something out of there.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, in type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Cowart and Pavia both have insulin pumps clipped to their right sides. The machine is as big as an oversized pager or cell phone. The pump makes everything a little easier. It provides insulin throughout the day to keep their blood sugar at a normal rate.

But, sometimes, the adrenaline associated with such an unpredictable situation — such as coaching a high school football game — can complicate matters.

“I tell him all the time, I am worried about the kids, but Joe is my No. 1 patient. I check his blood sugar every quarter, unless I know when not to,” said Pavia, a former Red Hurricane football player. “With adrenaline, sometimes blood sugar goes up.

“If it’s low, I’ll go to the bag where I have a Capri Sun juice bag, Rice Krispies treats and other things. When you’re on the sidelines, you just never know what you’ll need. We have an understanding; I knew when I played, I did not have perfect blood sugar. We know what might be elevated for other people could be normal for him; we know what we can deal with,” he continued. “As soon as I get him taken care of, I’ll test myself, too. Usually, mine doesn’t go up too much, unless I have a nice halftime snack. We have a good system worked out.”

So, it’s not unusual to see Cowart snacking on the sidelines during a play to get a little burst of energy if his blood sugar level dips a little low.

“We were going down low (in the Blackhawk game), so I was drinking a can of Dr. Pepper right on the sideline,” Cowart said. “We try to take preventative measures when we think my blood sugar is going one way or the other. I’ve eaten fruit and had pop on sidelines before. I am not doing it just to have a snack on the field.

“It’s nice because Vince will come over to me. He knows when I am getting too excited. He brings my glucometer over. We try to do it every quarter. I like to check and recheck and recheck. During the day, I will check anywhere between five or seven times. During a game, I might check five or seven times with the emotion and excitement. The levels may change based on that.”

The monitoring isn’t limited to game nights. Cowart must be cautious during practices, too.

“Especially in the summer when is out there running around. He is very active with the kids,” Pavia said. “Constantly, he’s being the scout team QB in practice. I keep an extra eye on him. I always tell him if he goes down, I am the acting head coach.”

DIAGNOSIS

Cowart, a 1999 New Castle graduate, was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which is a genetic condition, in 1997. He experienced the classic signs of the disease: frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger and weight loss.

“When I was 16 or 17 and going into my junior year, I was about 180 pounds. I lost 27 pounds in two months. It was a dramatic weight loss in the course of a summer,” he said. “Also, I’d get a cut and it wouldn’t really heal right away. That’s all a byproduct of type 1 diabetes.

“You can’t look at it as a curse. I just look at is as something that I have to deal with to be healthy and take care of myself. I eat a healthy diet and work out. Diabetics are at higher risk for heart disease and high cholesterol. I just have to watch out for all those things,” he continued. “I don’t use it as a crutch or an excuse to not get something done because of this ailment. It’s something 20 million other Americans deal with on a daily basis. And, as a junior high teacher, I am seeing it become more and more prevalent in young kids.”

Cowart did not let diabetes interrupt his athletic career. He quarterbacked the ’Canes to the 1998 WPIAL Class AAAA championship his senior year. He went on to play football at Allegheny College as well.

BROTHERS

It was during Cowart’s senior year at New Castle that he met Pavia, who grew up in a house across the street from Taggart Stadium.

“I was only four or five and my mother had gotten in touch with his mom and asked if he would be willing to come over and talk to me since I was just diagnosed with it,” Pavia said. “He came over and brought a hat and a T-shirt for me. It was reassuring. He was someone I always looked up to. It helped to let me know I could still play. Watching the quarterback of the championship team and knowing he had diabetes like me, it helped me. I went through the same things he did. I ended up talking to younger kids when I was in high school. I wanted to do the same things for kids that he did for me.”

Cowart was happy to have a positive impact on Pavia. The two crossed paths again when Cowart joined New Castle’s coaching staff during Pavia’s senior season in 2008.

“Vince was one of the best kids I ever met. He’s one of the greatest young men and high school kids I’ve ever known, as far as attitude and his disposition,” Cowart said. “He is a wonderful young man. Naturally, you have a tendency to know more about diabetes when you are a diabetic. He has taken it to next level working in the medical field. It’s neat to see him grow and mature. I would have been able to guess that he’d be successful.

“He’s an expert in the field. Anytime I ever played in high school or college, I never had someone as on it as Vince is because he is an expert,” he continued. “I am sure before Vince and I are done in football, we’ll come across a player that is a diabetic and we’ll be able to handle it in that regard.”

Upon graduation, Pavia, who is in his third season as a volunteer athletic trainer at New Castle, became an emergency medical technician and is pursuing his nursing degree through the Jameson Hospital School of Nursing. He expects to graduate in May. He hopes to find a local nursing job.

“I really like the ER,” he said. “I always thought about getting into pediatrics, too. We’ll see.”

In the meantime, though, he’ll continue to keep watch over the ’Canes and Cowart.

“Diabetes won’t go away. No matter how much you don’t like it. It’ll never change. It’s just the luck of the draw. There’s nothing we could have done or not done. Type 1 is genetic,” Pavia said. “Joe has 60 guys out there looking to him. I don’t ever want to see anything go wrong. We have had a good relationship for a long time and it’s nice being able to help him now.”