He believes the science because the science has always been there, in some form, during a lifetime full of perpetual intrigue and persistent education.
Not only was Pete Chacalos a science teacher at Wheeling Park High School for more than 30 years, but he’s witnessed the science present itself as perfectly accurate an infinite number of times whether in the classroom, in his role as athletic trainer for the high school, during his retirement, and as a member of the Ohio County Board of Education.
The one constant about science, though, is that the researchers constantly learn by testing and observing – and then re-testing. Those white coats of the world, ya see, know more than most until they don’t anymore because another new discovery was made whenever and wherever.
Now that Chacalos is one of five members of the Ohio County Board of Education, he utilizes his acumen to sustain and improve the curricula inside the district’s 13 school buildings. And when it comes to sports and all of the updated athletic facilities?
Well, if you ask Pete Chacalos about the high school’s new turfed surfaces, immediately he’ll tell you today’s prep athletes are far safer than they were prior to the installations.
How can Chacalos be so certain?
The science, of course.
How can an athlete best protect themselves from sustaining injury?
Conditioning. Conditioning. Conditioning. It has been well documented that injuries most often occur during later parts of games and practices. This is because they are starting to tire. The better conditioned an athlete is, the time to exhaustion is significantly increased. Conditioning improves endurance and increases flexibility.
The functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is greatly enhanced. You can work on your conditioning practically anywhere and don’t need any special equipment. In addition to cardiovascular endurance, conditioning must include strength training (lifting) and flexibility exercises. Balance and coordination will also increase as flexibility increases, making injury less likely.
As conditioning improves, an individual feels better. In today’s world, with so much to occupy their time, athletes may “not have the time” to do all these things. It is not about having time. However, it is about making time.
Does science ever lie?
Generally, no. I do not think science lies, but results may be interpreted differently. There may be research on a specific problem. Individuals who base their conclusions on the same results may have vastly different interpretations.
Also, the interpretations have always changed as more knowledge is uncovered. It was once thought that the Earth was flat and at the center of the universe. We now know otherwise. Just look at the advances through the years and our lifetimes. Medicine, geology, biology, and astronomy have all seen significant advances that were inconceivable at one time.
Do you fear AI?
I do not fear artificial intelligence itself, but I fear its misuse and our potential dependence on it in the future. It can help enhance our knowledge and take us to places we could only dream of going, such as the Louvre, the Prado, a tropical rainforest, and even back to the Battle of Gettysburg. However, you can go back to the old axiom GIGO – garbage in, garbage out, flawed data input will yield results that are not reliable. In addition, real-world results can be easily manipulated and make things that never happened appear to happen. AI could make people say things they never said or do things they never did. That thought is frightful.
Also, if we depend on it too much and let it solve our problems, we will use our brains less. Think about that one.
What is it you love the most about the game of baseball?
A clock does not govern baseball. Famed baseball writer Roger Angell put it best: “Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly; keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young.” If you are down by three touchdowns in football with one minute left, I’ve got news for you – you will lose.
But in baseball, if you are down by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and two strikes on the batter …… you still have a chance. Like Earl Weaver once said, “You can’t sit on a lead, run a few plays into the line, and just kill the clock. You’ve got to throw the ball over the plate and give the other man his chance.
That’s why baseball is the greatest game of them all.” There is no better place to spend a summer day than having a hot dog at the ballpark, keeping score, thinking about the strategy to use, and hoping my team wins. I never leave until the final out.
I collect baseball autographs, and I still collect cards.
Which TV show did you watch the most with your father?
Bonanza. Loved the cowboys and the horses. We never missed the adventures of Ben, Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, Candy, and Hop-Sing. I was so excited when my dad brought home a Bonanza sweatshirt. I slept in it that night and wore it whenever we watched the show.
About the time Bonanza went off the air, M*A*S*H began its 11-year run. I always watched that until I went off to WVU. I’ve never watched a show that could make you laugh and cry over a thirty-minute episode.
One of my prized possessions is a cast photo signed by Hawkeye and B. J.
