New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Former MVL coach Jim Bauer will be among those honored Saturday night at the annual Spirit of MVL banquet at Turner Hall in New Ulm. He is one of four persons honored as individuals who gave graciously of their time, talent and treasurers to Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School.

Bauer served MVL from 1981 to 1998 and has since coached at Lake Mills Lutheran High School in Wisconsin. At MVL he exhibited an extreme level of energy, minimal need for sleep and a solid work ethic that assisted the development of outstanding football, basketball and track teams. His teams played in state football playoff at the Metrodome, University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena and St. Paul’s Excel Energy Civic Center. The 1987 basketball team took third place in the first appearance of the school in a state championship tournament.

His students realized success under Coach Bauer’s leadership Jim’s love for teaching, his competitive nature and get-it done attitude which made him a successful coach and a well-remembered teacher. The energy, excitement, and willingness to serve that Jim Bauer portrayed as teacher at MVL, helped shape many of the current programs.

Also to be honored are the late Marvin and Loraine Henning, brother and sister from Morgan, honored for their support of Christian education at elementary, high school and college levels and Gene Rodewald of New Ulm. Rodewald chaired the Area Lutheran High School Exploratory Committee in 1978 and served in many capacities throughout the years of developoment and growth of MVL.