Soul coach battles cancer, continues to do what he loves at an elite level

Monday August 1, 2016

 Ready To Help Lead Soul to Championship – Playoffs Begin at PPL Center This Sunday

PHILADELPHIA—Soul Defensive Backs coach Bernie Nowotarski and former Lehigh Valley Steelhawks coach has his unit performing at an elite level this season. The Soul lead the AFL in interceptions with 25 and stake claim the top two interception leaders in the league; Tracy Belton leads the AFL with nine interceptions and former Steelhawks star Dwayne Hollis is close behind with eight picks on the season including four returned for a touchdown.

But keeping the Soul defensive backfield performing at a dominant level is not what is truly amazing about Bernie’s performance this season. The unit is performing at a dominant level while their coach battles an incurable blood cancer is the real story.

Four years ago, Nowotarski was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma which causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow, crowding out the healthy blood cells. Instead of producing antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can cause problems in the kidneys.

This cancer has cut into the Soul coach’s physical ability, not allowing him to jump around and get excited like he would like to do, but he will not let cancer affect his mental sharpness or focus on his passion for coaching football at a very high level. If anything, it gives him an added tool to ensure his players are tough, relentless and always focused.

“I tell any of the players I have coached over the last four years since my diagnosis - when you are feeling sorry for yourself or you think things are getting tough, just look over to the sidelines, think about what I am battling every day, and realize you always can dig deeper, work harder and do whatever it takes to be successful. Excuses are not in my playbook,” Nowotarski said.

“You would never know coach is battling cancer,” said Soul defensive back Dwayne Hollis. He is always full of energy and he is always focused on making us better. He is definitely one of the toughest guys I know and we feed off of his toughness every day in practice and at games.”

Nowotarski has always been vocal about his situation with his players or anybody that will listen. He wants to ensure that people do not let anything get in the way of living life the way they want to and from doing what they love. He believes people need to use their passion to help get them through the hard things, like chemotherapy treatments, to keep their mind focused on the great things in life.

“Coaching is his time to forget that he is battling an incurable cancer,” said his wife, Jill. “Football is in his blood and it’s always been his passion. I see him on such bad days when the treatments have gotten the best of him, but it makes me happy to see him on the field surrounded by such an incredible group of players and coaches who truly care about him, all while he is doing what he really loves.”

He also believes that using his position with the Soul is a great platform to get more recognition about Multiple Myeloma, in order to eventually find a cure.

“Coaching has given me opportunities to discuss my situation and be another voice to continue to work towards a cure,” said Bernie. With the Soul, we are on TV and radio every week. I will talk to any reporter that asks about my situation because you never know who is listening and what resource they may be able to provide to get one step closer to a cure.”

Returning to the PPL Center with the Soul means so much more to Nowotarski, with the arena practically being in his backyard. The Kutztown alum and three-year starter in the Golden Bears secondary gets the joy of seeing his friends and family in the stands, as well as his network of coaches and players from previous teams. He was even lucky enough to have his cancer doctors and nurses come to the July 9th game to support him.

“This has been a whirlwind experience,” said Nowotarski. “I have been able to learn from a fantastic coaching staff at the Soul and get to work with top of the line players. This organization has been so welcoming to my family and I am so grateful for this opportunity. Playing our playoff games in Allentown is icing on the cake for me.”

The Soul will host the Tampa Bay Storm this Sunday, August 7 at 6 p.m. at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. The game will be broadcast live on national television (ESPN2), and will also be broadcast live on 97.5 The Fanatic, a Philadelphia based sports station. With a victory on August 7, the team will return to the PPL Center on Sunday, August 14 for the Conference Championship game. Tickets for both games are on sale now at pplcenter.com.

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA SOUL

The 2015 Eastern Division Champion Philadelphia Soul are entering their 11th Season. In ten seasons of play, the Soul have won four Division Championships, three Conference Championships and a World Championship. Since the inaugural season in 2004, the Soul are the winningest professional sports team in Philadelphia. Season memberships and Group tickets for the Soul’s upcoming 2017 season are on sale now. For tickets, contact the Soul sales department at (215) 253-4900 ext. 3, or request contact from a Soul representative by filling out the form on www.philadelphiasoul.com. Follow the Soul on Facebook at facebook.com/soul and Twitter at twitter.com/soulfootball.

ABOUT PPL CENTER

PPL Center (pplcenter.com) is a state-of-the-art multipurpose venue in downtown Allentown, PA. The arena seats more than 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,500 for Lehigh Valley Phantoms professional hockey games, making it the region’s largest events venue. The amenities-packed PPL Center will host more than 150 events each year, offering something for everyone, including the Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, live concerts, family shows, trade shows, figure skating events, youth sports, high school and collegiate events, Disney on Ice, conferences, graduations and many more events. PPL Center is currently the main catalyst to the revitalization and growth of downtown Allentown. Spectra by Comcast Spectacor provides the Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Ticketing & Fan Engagement at PPL Center.