A cornerstone of the Ballston Spa wrestling community and a highly respected figure in Section 2 athletics, Coach Harold “Harvey” Staulters is being honored for his enduring impact on the sport of amateur wrestling in Upstate New York. With 22 years at the helm as the head varsity coach of the Ballston Spa High School wrestling team, Staulters built a legacy defined by integrity, discipline, and dedication to developing young athletes—both on and off the mat.

Harvey Staulters grew up on a working farm alongside seven brothers and one sister, where he learned the enduring values of hard work, perseverance, and family responsibility. The farm was home to crops, cattle, pigs, and chickens, and each child played a vital role in its daily operation. It was in this hardworking environment that the Staulters family’s wrestling story began.

In the fifth grade, Harvey witnessed the transformative power of wrestling when the Ballston Spa head coach Vince Johnson encouraged Harvey’s older brother to try out for the team. That moment sparked a family tradition with no fewer than seven of the Staulters boys becoming varsity wrestlers. Indeed, at one point between 1978 and 1982, no fewer than four Staulters brothers could be found in the Ballston Spa varsity lineup at the same time—an extraordinary testament to the family’s deep connection to the sport and the Ballston Spa community. Harvey twice placed third in Section 2 (back when there was one division) losing to the eventual New York state champ in the semis his senior year.

Harvey continued his wrestling journey at the University at Albany’s D-3 team, competing under renowned coach Joe Demeo. His promising collegiate career was tragically cut short by a broken neck sustained during practice. Undeterred, Staulters remained deeply involved in athletics, serving as an athletic trainer at Albany for the remainder of his college years. He would go on to channel his passion for education and mentorship into a successful career as a high school social studies teacher—a role in which he has influenced countless lives.

What followed was close to three decades of excellence in coaching at Ballston Spa, where Harvey built not only winning teams but also a strong wrestling culture rooted in character and community. After thirteen years as a junior varsity coach and assistant to Vince Johnson, he moved up to coach the varsity in 2002. Throughout his coaching tenure, he was joined on the sidelines by his younger brother Gene Staulters, himself a standout wrestler who captured an NJCAA national title at Fulton-Montgomery Junior College and continued his career at the University of North Carolina where he placed in the ACC tourney and won a trip to the NCAA’s wrestling “big show.”

Together, the Staulters brothers formed one of the most enduring and effective coaching duos in Section 2 wrestling history, notching over 350 wins. This included 39 Section 2 Class champions, 20 Section 2 champions, 8 at-large qualifiers and 15 state place winners - among them state champ Tyler Barnes and U.S. National and World Greco team member Mark Yanagihara. Coach Staulters was voted several times by his fellow coaches as Section 2’s junior varsity coach of the year, Section 2 Class A coach of the year and Section 2 Class B coach of the year. The two Staulters brothers capped off their coaching career at Ballston Spa High with a Section 2 dual meet championship and a fourth place finish in the New York State High School wrestling tournament in Albany, placing three athletes that year.

Coach Staulters' contribution to the sport transcends accolades. He has mentored generations of student-athletes, emphasizing the importance of hard work, humility, and sportsmanship. Many of his former wrestlers have gone on to successful careers in coaching, education, and beyond, continuing the values he instilled. Harvey credits his successes at Ballston Spa to the support of his wife and family but wants all to know that there is “no way I could have accomplished anything close to this without my brother Gene.” Coach Staulters adds that he “was fortunate to have had in Vince Johnson a mentor who was able to provide me with the knowledge and experience needed to run a successful program. He was also the best man at my wedding.”

Coach Staulters married his high school sweetheart Suzanne Staulters, with whom he had two two daughters – Katie and Christine. Katie is an elementary school teacher in the Saratoga Springs school district and Christie runs a graduate program at Boston University. Granddaughter Elizabeth joined the clan two years ago. Harvey has also served as the Suburban Council Wresting Chairperson. Coach Staulters’s life’s work has made an indelible mark not only on Ballston Spa - but on the entire wrestling community of Upstate New York.