I’ve known Joey Pennisi, who is retiring at the end of this school year after 42 years of teaching and coaching in El Paso County (including the Ysleta, El Paso and Socorro school districts), since he was a little tyke.  I watched him grow into one of the finest human beings on the planet. I used to play golf and tennis with Joey’s father, Joe, as far back as the 1960s and 1970s.

I saw Joey grow up as he: Lettered in all four years in baseball at Coronado High School; Earned All WAC honors in UTEP baseball in 1974-75; Played basketball for UTEP for the late coach Don Haskins his freshman and sophomore years; Played professional baseball in Italy and returned to play on the All American Sports Ambassadors team that toured Central and South America, competing against their Olympic baseball teams.