Four years ago in this newspaper I wrote a story about Dave Dominik entitled A Nurturer of Dragons. In this story, I spoke about Dominik’s efforts in building a strong softball foundation for the Kingsway softball juggernaut.
He was trying to have something in place to give our kids the same advantages and resources as players in other programs as well as provide a base and consistency for future Dragons. Dominik clearly had a hand in the long-time streak of Dragon softball success.
Well, this past summer things have come full circle as Dave Dominik was approved for his first-ever head coaching job as Kingsway’s softball coach, replacing long-time coach and Kingsway legend Tony Barchuk.
Dominik, a 1987 graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, played basketball in college. He spent 15 years working in the management sector in foods and personal care, working for organizations such as Kraft and ConAgra. He left the corporate world in order to become a 7th grade math teacher at Kingsway Middle School in 2011.
However, coaching softball has been his true passion for a number of years. As a resident of Woolwich Township, he coached for 12 years in the Swedesboro-Woolwich Little League and has served as its vice-president. He also helped run a very successful travel program that won district and sectional championships and made it to the state championship final.
Recent prominent Kingsway softball stars such as Katie Dickson, Becca Barb, Rachel Ippolite, and his daughter, Kelsey, have come up through some of these tremendous feeder programs to help fuel the Kingsway Regional High School softball machine. Many have moved on to play at the collegiate level, too. He began working with the Dragons as an assistant softball coach in 2011, where he reunited with many of his youth league players.
Over the past decade, Kingsway athletics have been a family affair for Dominik and his family. His son, Dave, was a top-caliber lacrosse player who went on to play for Alvernia College, while his daughter Kelsey played collegiately at Temple University and Coastal Carolina after her all-state softball career ended at Kingsway. Currently, his daughter Danielle is a star on the Dragon softball roster.
Dominik is known in this community for his dedication to the sport of softball and his relentless pursuit of excellence in his players. Even while battling colon cancer upon accepting the job as head softball coach, he showed the same dedication and steadfastness that he always has displayed.
Things simply have not changed. Dominik continues to nourish local softball prospects with the technical knowledge and programming that they need for success throughout their playing careers. Now as the head softball coach at Kingsway, even more local softball players will reap the benefits of his work.
When you eat, drink, and breath softball as Dominik does, providing this athletic sustenance to others only comes naturally.
By Christian Lynch
