Robert Joseph Skubal, son of the late Edward J. and Pearl E. Skubal, is the oldest of 10 children who was born and raised in Rhinelander, WI. He is a 1968 graduate of Rhinelander Union High School and a member of the wrestling team. His wrestling career started his junior year when his peers drug him down the hallway and into the wrestling room as they would not take no for an answer when asked to join the high school team. After graduating in 1968, he attended Taylor County Teacher's College in Medford. Bob was a 1970 graduate of TCTC serving as class president and earning letters in men's volleyball, basketball, and softball. After earning his two year teaching degree, Bob transferred to UW-Stevens Point graduating in 1972 with a BS degree in teaching. In 1985, he received his Masters degree in Education from UW-Oshkosh. In the summer of 1972, Bob accepted his first teaching position in Chilton. He was hired to teach 6th grade and coach junior high basketball. Bob immediately became close friends with Mike Field. Basketball practice was not until 6 p.m., and Mike asked him to come into the wrestling room and wrestle with the heavyweights. Bob accepted Mike's offer and was soon helping him establish a junior high wrestling program at the conclusion of the high school season. Bob resigned his basketball position, took over the junior high wrestling program, and with Mike, they established a sound youth wrestling program. Before they knew it, they had numbers of over 100 wrestlers in grades 4-5-6, over half of all junior high kids were involved with wrestling, and 50-60 wrestlers were in the high school program The time at Chilton was amazing. Bob had been involved in all levels of the wrestling program, coached basketball, junior high and JV football, and boys and girls junior high track. "Our two sons were born there and the community was truly appreciative of our hard work." But then things changed. His mother took ill, and Bob told his wife that they needed to get back to an area close to his parents in Rhinelander and hers in Edgar. The six years at Chilton had definitely given Bob opportunity. Bob's next teaching position was in Tomahawk. He was immediately involved with the high school, middle school, and youth wrestling programs as well as the wrestling club. Bob spent 12 years coaching on the high school, middle school, and youth levels before becoming Tomahawk's sixth varsity coach. Along with his coaching responsibilities, Bob spent summers putting on 15 commuter wrestling camps throughout the state of Wisconsin. In his 12 years as head Wrestling coach, he has produced 32 conference champions, 132 all conference wrestlers, 24 regional champions, 55 sectional qualifiers, 7 sectional champions, 16 state qualifiers, 13 state place winners, and 6 individual state champions. Bob's overall dual meet record stands at 282-58-1. He has also had nine of his teams receive state ranking. In addition to his working with all levels of the Tomahawk wrestling program for 29 years, Bob has also been involved with his community. He was a member of the Tomahawk Jaycees and the Tomahawk Knights of Columbus where his family received the Knights of Columbus Family of the Year Award in 1991. Bob is actively involved in St. Mary's Catholic Church as a Eucharistic minister and confirmation sponsor. Bob has received five conference wrestling coach of the year awards, and he has been nominated ten times by former students to Who's Who in Education. At school, he has served as a team leader and he also has been a member of his union negotiations team for over 18 years. Along with coaching all levels of wrestling, Bob has coached middle school & high school football, middle school girls track, all levels of baseball from t-ball, little league, pony league through the high school varsity program helping produce two state appearances and a state runner up title in 1992. Bob has also been quite active with the WWCA serving on the Coaches Advisory, 7% committee, and District 2 Rep for over 14 years. In addition to his teaching and coaching, Bob helped to establish Tomahawk's New Lettermen's Club and he also found the time to work on the development of the Hatchet Hall of Fame for Tomahawk athletics. In its eighth year, Bob and his wife, Donna, have also taken on a huge project by researching the complete history of all Tomahawk sports from 1897 to the present. Bob has also just completed a history of Lumberjack Conference wrestling from 1965 to the present. "I need to thank those that nominated me, the selection committee, and those that sent letters of support for my nomination. I also wish to thank my parents for making sure that I knew the value of hard work, Mike Field for being a mentor that few ever experience in their lifetime, along with my family; my sons, Joe and Andy and my wife, Donna, who have stood beside me every step of the way of my teaching and coaching career. Without their support, I truly do not know where I would be today. I wish to thank everyone that I have coached with on all levels throughout the years. It takes a team approach and no one knows this more than I do. Whatever is done is the result of many and not just one person. Last, but not least, thank you to the thousands of parents and youth that I have had the privilege to coach and work with over the last 35 years.