Dan Fravel resigns as Bellefonte baseball coach, citing health issues

Bellefonte baseball coach Dan Fravel has resigned after his second season at the helm and a challenging year recovering from a near-fatal motorcycle accident.

The Red Raiders went 11-9 in 2017 under Fravel, who is still recovering from injuries he suffered after a bear ran into the side of his motorcycle Aug. 29, 2016.

“Throughout the fall everything in real life took on a new meaning as my lacerated kidney, spleen, and whole body trauma was healing,” Fravel wrote in his resignation letter. “I love the game of baseball and I love teaching, but the abuse my body has taken mentally and physically while functioning at much less than a 100 percent has been rough.

“But, I refuse to give any less than 110 percent at anything I do in life, and about a dozen times this spring within the classroom and practice field I’ve nearly passed out trying to keep up with the demands.”

Fravel led Bellefonte to the PIAA Class 3A championship in 2016 — the school’s first state title in baseball. He wrote in his resignation letter that he’s never worked harder than he did starting in December when he returned to teaching at State College High School part-time. He was teaching full-time by the end of January and started working with the Bellefonte baseball team again in February.

Fravel said in an email Tuesday that this past April and May were “the most challenging times I have ever faced in my life.”

“I needed a release valve to refocus on my strong family core values,” Fravel wrote. “My own personal health and family were not even on the radar much this spring as my priorities of my twp paid jobs dominated every last ounce of energy I had and then some most days.”

Fravel wanted to spend more time with his family and focus more on his teaching job.

Fravel, who finished with a 27-20 record in two years, said he was grateful for the opportunity to lead the Red Raiders.

“The future is bright, the town loves ball passionately, and I am sure there are other very hungry and deserving candidates to lead the way into a successful 2018 campaign,” Fravel wrote in his resignation letter.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Dan Fravel resigns as Bellefonte baseball coach, citing health issues."