Almost 30 years ago, Tom and Debbie Hysell left Ohio and moved south to Florida, Tom taking a job teaching English and coaching baseball at Coconut Creek High School in northern Broward County.

In the years since, Hysell helped build a championship program at Coconut Creek before leaving to coach at Nova Southeastern University in 1997.

Hysell since moved on to become the athletic director at Northeast where he helped oversee the construction of a sports complex; after overcoming heart problems, Hysell found his way back to the field, serving as an assistant to Jason Hamilton -- his former catcher at Creek -- at Cardinal Gibbons.

''I'm about to celebrate 30 great years in Broward County, and it's all because of baseball,'' said Hysell, who was honored at The Miami Herald's All-Broward Breakfast on Wednesday morning.

Hysell, who received The Miami Herald's Lifetime Achievement Award, doesn't appear ready to go anywhere.

''Who can afford to retire?'' he joked.

Hysell continues to teach English at Northeast, then after school, he makes the short drive up Commercial Boulevard to join Hamilton (''I've known him since he was 5,'' Hysell said in an interview with The Herald last month) at Cardinal Gibbons.

Hysell isn't the head coach anymore, but that seems just fine with him. Hysell truly made a name for himself during his years at Coconut Creek.

Hysell started at the school in 1980, and the Cougars became a Broward local powerhouse in the ensuing years. Hysell also helped build the modest baseball complex at Coconut Creek, one in which the players, coaches and alumni took great pride.

It wasn't the greatest facility in the county, but it was more than adequate and it definitely had a certain charm.

Tucked in off the corner of Lyons Road and Coconut Creek Parkway, the ballpark hosted plenty of big games -- with the Cougars getting the better of most of them during their best years.

Coconut Creek made its first appearance in the state playoffs in Hysell's third season in 1983, with the program having its biggest season in 1994 when the Cougars went all the way to the state championship game, losing to Sarasota in the final game.

''We had some great games over the years,'' said former St. Thomas Aquinas coach Ed Waters, a long-time friend and rival of Hysell. ``It was always a big game when you played Coconut Creek. Those were games you looked forward to. Tom always had his kids ready and you had better be ready for a battle. It wasn't going to be easy.''

One of the biggest things Hysell said he was proud of was how so many of his former players remained in the game. Hamilton isn't the only player who stayed in baseball -- not by a long shot. Chris Costanzo and Anthony Gentile are at Piper High, Mike Federman at Coral Springs. Brian Larson is at Miami Dr. Krop and Jeff Mathis is back at Coconut Creek.

And on Wednesday, former Coconut Creek second baseman Dean Florio was named The Herald's big-school baseball coach of the year after leading Douglas to the regional finals.

A number of Hysell's pupils are staying in the game as umpires as well. To Hysell, the large numbers of his former players remaining in the game ``is not a tribute to me, but to this great sport.''

But it has to be more than that, as its obvious Hysell's absolute love of the game and his joy in teaching it has rubbed off.

''I just love coaching baseball,'' Hysell said. ``It's a great game. Honest, it's been a really good run for me. It really has.''

• Cardinal Gibbons athletic director Louise Crocco, a past Lifetime Achievement recipient, was in attendance on Wednesday.

Crocco, a Hall of Fame volleyball coach who has been a fixture in Broward County for close to four decades, is retiring at the end of the school year.

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