For 22 years, until retiring two years ago as a homicide detective, Gene Constantine wore two different faces.
By day, he combed the halls of Mount St. Joseph, recruiting athletes to participate in the various sports he coached there. By night, he combed the streets of Baltimore for murder suspects.
"Most people who read the papers and found out that Joe Blow was killed, or arrested for selling drugs -- it might not hit close to home like it does with me," said Constantine, 54, coach of the Gaels' No. 2-ranked track team.
But now, as the Irvington Catholic school's assistant director of students, Constantine said he is "primarily responsible for discipline." And the message he tries to convey, he said, is this: "I try to communicate to the kids that what they do, they have to be responsible for.
"That's why I don't let the kids wear these stupid hats or clothes," Constantine added. "If they're at a track meet, they better be wearing something that says Mount St. Joe on it, or they ain't wearing it."
Constantine agrees that he's strict, but his system makes the seniors enforce his rules.
"Having six or seven seniors who each take responsibility to lead by example -- this is one of the better ideas that I've heard of," said senior Joe Spinatto, student body president.
"We take what God's given us, what we have naturally, and we push it to the max," Spinatto said. "Coach says that when you see another teammate working hard, going to the limit, it's a lot better than a coach standing around giving directions, wearing a watch. The guys on this team have to really get out and train."
But don't get the wrong idea about Constantine.
"I don't want anyone to get the impression that he's militaristic. Above all, he's got a good rapport with the students, so he's not this big ogre," said Paul Triplett, 35, director of students and a St. Joe alumnus. "He started helping out with the football team when I was a senior at St. Joe. He likes to promote team unity. His biggest contribution to the team is that he's gotten them believing they can win."
Though the Gaels' past teams have seen great individual talents, none has had the balance of this year's squad, which already has clinched the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference dual-meet title and is aiming for the private school states (May 10) and conference meet (May 17) titles.
