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Castelamare Sr. Gets A Late Night Surprise From Football Team

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2008

Wesley Chapel coach John Castelamare was in the mood for surprises last Friday night.

For the past seven months, Castelamare's father, John Castelamare Sr., has had to fight through conditions derived from a weakened heart. It's caused an inadequate blood flow throughout the body, which has led to fluid build-up. Roughly three weeks ago, Castelamare Sr., 80, had to have a partial leg amputation.

Castelamare Sr. hasn't been able to get to a game this season due to his health, so after the Wildcats collected a 29-13 victory at Hernando, Castelamare Jr. decided to skip the typical midnight phone call to his father.

Unbeknownst to his players or coaching staff, Castelamare loaded his 32 players, his coaching staff and his managers onto the team bus, directing it a little more than a mile away to the Heartland of Brooksville nursing home.

In lieu of a midnight phone call, he would get a visit.

"They knew my father was in bad shape," Castelamare said. "We say prayers at the end of practice for everybody, and they knew one day [this summer] I had to leave for an emergency with my father. I said to them, 'I need a favor. I'd like for you to come with me to see dad in the facility.' They were all for it."

Once they arrived, the players took off their shoulder pads and cleats, while Castelamare Jr. woke his father. He gave his dad the good news of the victory and then told him the team was there to see him. After Castelamare Jr. helped his father into his wheelchair, the team came into the hallway and Castelamare Jr. wheeled his dad out of the room to see his visitors.

"They shook his hand and he was just excited," Castelamare said. "He started tearing a little bit. I found out when we left, he called my mother up at midnight and said, 'Hey, the team came to see me.' It was an exciting night for my father. He's been through a lot for the past seven or eight months. We almost lost him a couple times."

The situation hit close to home for some of his players, Castelamare admitted. A couple have grandparents fighting cancer, while another recently lost his grandmother.

As for Castelamare Sr., he's rehabbing and will soon be fitted for a prosthetic. The coach knows his father, who was once a military medic, is coming to grips with the amputation through his sense of humor.

"He tells us what clothes to bring him and he says, 'Hey look, they have me in rehab now and I've been walking and I need my sneakers.'" Castelamare said. "He goes, 'Oh, sorry sneaker.' I knew he was dealing with it and he's doing pretty good."

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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