Say the name Robert Kapral in the Ohio Valley, and more than a few people will cock their heads to the side, look upward and struggle to come up with an answer. Now swap ‘Robert’ with ‘Bubba’ and the light bulb suddenly clicks on.
The name ‘Bubba’ Kapral has been synonymous with success in the Upper Ohio Valley across multiple fields for more than four decades. Take his two state track championships, two runner-up finishes, and 27 OVAC titles between track and girls’ basketball.
In the professional world, Kapral is the consummate hard-working, loyal soldier. He started at the Times Leader in 1978 after graduating from Bethany College a few months prior. He’s still with the newspaper today, climbing the ladder to sports editor, managing editor, and now executive sports editor. He oversees the sports departments of not just the Times Leader, but all the daily and weekly papers locally in the Ogden Newspapers family.
Kapral coached at his alma mater, St. John Central in Bellaire, for 31 years. He first yielded the track post a few years ago before calling it a career last school year after St. John Central High School closed and was reborn as St. John Central Academy. From St. John to Bethany, and back again, the man bleeds green.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Kapral opted to see how the other half lives and donned the black and white stripes and added another position to his resume: basketball official. When Bubba finally does decide to retire, he’ll have a decorated career full of memories to look back on. The better question is, will that day ever come?
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Opportunities must have come up throughout the years both professionally and in the coaching arena. Why did you decide to remain here in the Ohio Valley?
I remained in the Ohio Valley for three reasons: I love the Ohio Valley, my family, and I love my newspaper job as well as coaching at my alma mater. There was no reason to leave the Valley.
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Working in the newspaper industry can be tough, but also exciting. What’s the best part about your job?
The best part of newspapers is every day is different. It is never boring. Also, working in sports is not a job … getting to get out and dealing with people is a pleasure. The best part about coaching is the relationships you build with your players and assistant coaches. Winning is a bonus.
For a while you coached not only basketball but also track. How difficult was it trying to juggle two sports in addition to your work duties?
Balancing coaching and working as an editor needed skillful organization skills. Fortunately, I wasn’t married so that freed up time. I never missed a practice or a game because of my work, and I never cheated work because of coaching. When I was managing editor for 10 years, I was working 60 hours a week.
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In short, why ‘Bubba?’
No one knows me by my real name Robert. I like the nickname.
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Times are changing here locally, both demographically and economically. What kind of future do you see for the Upper Ohio Valley?
The big key to the Ohio Valley is the ethane cracker plant targeted for Dilles Bottom. If it comes, it will yield much better economic times. It is not a cure-all, but it will spawn other businesses and hopefully industrial development. There would be many spinoffs . There is a lot of optimism in the Valley right now because of the cracker plant.
Should it not come to fruition, it would yield much doom and gloom. Coal and steel will never regain their former clout. Oil and gas is our best home for economic gains, and the cracker plant is key to the continued growth of that industry.
