Former Philadelphia students and athletes are coming together to honor a coach whose guidance extended far beyond the track.<\/p>\n
Coach Fred Rosenfeld wasn’t just a record-breaking track and field coach \u2014 he was a mentor, motivator, and a lifeline to hundreds of young athletes across the city.<\/p>\n
“I think any coach is trying to get better. That’s pretty much what I did.” Rosenfeld said in his final interview.<\/p>\n
From Overbrook to Central High, Rosenfeld coached during some of the city’s most turbulent decades, including the 1970s, when gang violence crept onto school campuses and even onto the track.<\/p>\n
Steven Bayne, who ran for Coach Rose at Overbrook High, still recalls the way he kept the team focused and united.<\/p>\n
“Somehow, he \u2014 with those other coaches \u2014 was able to keep us together. Made us want to run together, be together, and win together,” Bayne said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosenfeld’s legacy includes 51 Philadelphia Public League Championships, but his athletes say it was the discipline, pride, and love he instilled that made the difference.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Morgan Cephus, one of the first girls to win a public league cross country title under Rosenfeld, credits him with shaping her path in public service.<\/p>\n
“He didn’t have to stay in the community\u2026 but he did,” Cephus said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, a community of former runners \u2014 led by Bayne \u2014 is raising funds to install a permanent plaque honoring Rosenfeld at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.<\/p>\n
“In Jewish culture, to remember someone is to keep them alive,” said museum spokesperson Rachel Berger.<\/p>\n
Rosenfeld passed away in 2024, surrounded by loved ones and former athletes who became like family.<\/p>\n
“Coach. Teacher. Friend,” Bayne said.<\/p>\n
The plaque honoring Coach Fred Rosenfeld<\/a> is expected to be unveiled this fall.<\/p>\n