Clark County Press, Neillsville (Clark Co) WI

May 14, 2008, Front page

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Sischo to call it quits as

The Clark County Press Sportswriter

By Peter Spicer

The Clark County Press Sportswriter and Neillsville High School and Middle School guidance counselor

Dennis Sischo goes through papers at his desk. Sischo will retire from sportswriting at the end of the end of the spring athletic season after 20 years of covering Warriors’ sports.  (Peter Spicer/Clark County Press photo)

After 20 years of bringing his writing gift and knowledge of the Neillsville High School athletic tradition to The Clark County Press, sportswriter Dennis Sischo will retire from covering sports at the end of the spring athletic season.

Sischo, a Neillsville High School graduate, majored in sociology and journalism at UW-River Falls.  Sischo later pursued a degree in special education, which he received at UW-Eau Claire and then obtained a master’s degree in guidance and counseling.

Sischo moved back to Neillsville after he finished college and worked with special education students at Loyal and Greenwood and at a Neillsville school for emotionally challenged students.  Sischo became a special education teacher for the Neillsville School District in 1982.

Not long after accepting the job at Neillsville, Sischo began coaching varsity girls’ basketball and softball for the Warriors.  Sischo, who previously coached junior varsity boys’ basketball at Greenwood, felt fortunate to coach at Neillsville.

 “I got lucky,” explained Sischo.

Sischo brought a strong sports background and love of Neillsville athletics of his coaching – he played multiple sports at Neillsville High School and played one year of college baseball at UW-River Falls.

Sischo not only put his sports knowledge to the test through coaching, he also decided to put it into writing.  In 1988, he began to cover volleyball, football, basketball, baseball and softball for the Clark County Press weekly newspaper.

Sischo enjoyed writing under the Zachow family, who owned The Clark County Press when he first began covering Warriors’ sports and later enjoyed working for late editor Mick Kuzjak.

“Mick was a great boss to work for,” said Sischo.

Sischo appreciated the freedom Kuzjak gave him to branch out and occasionally write feature stories on Neillsville athletes and cover human-interest stories. 

“I’ve always had a fair share of flexibility [at the Press],” said Sischo.

The Warriors’ strong athletic teams and the community’s interest in sports made sportswriting fun for Sischo.

“[Writing] kept me into sports,” said Sischo.

As much as Sischo enjoys covering athletic events, his most fulfilling writing comes from writing human-interest pieces.

“I love writing feature stories,” said Sischo.

Sischo took over as the high school and middle school guidance counselor for the Neillsville School District seven years ago and currently coaches junior high softball and junior high boys’ and girls’ basketball.

Attending sporting events three nights weekly, coaching and writing stories on weekends – in addition to being a guidance counselor – made Sischo’s schedule a bit crazy.

“It got pretty hectic,” said Sischo.

Sischo looks forward to spending more time with his three grandchildren but plans to continue on as guidance counselor.

Sischo will keep sharing his sports knowledge with young people through coaching junior high sports.

“Sports is something I’ve always enjoyed,” concluded Sischo.