THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: June 19, 2014

It's not uncommon when coaches resign for them to say one reason they did so is to spend more time with their family.

But when Jack Foster says it, well, you can hardly blame him.

The Foster family has had to endure one kick-in-the-gut hardship after another in the last year or so.

Jack and Heather's oldest daughter, Angie, died at age 32 on March 16, 2013. She had diabetes since age 8, and her heart finally gave out on her, Jack said.

One month before that, Heather went in for a routine checkup, and cancer was found in her uterus.

And last November, their other daughter, Shawna, who is 30, was diagnosed with a brain tumor after suffering from seizures for a while.

There is some good news - Heather is OK now, and Shawna's tumor was benign, and doctors got most of it.

But still ...

"2013 was not a great year for us," Jack Foster said.

How in the world did you get through it, he was asked.

"We've got a great family, and the people at the school (Post Falls High, where Jack coaches football and softball, and at River City Middle School, where he teaches history and P.E., and coaches wrestling) were just amazing. We just hung together as a family, and got through it one day at a time."

JACK FOSTER, 56, recently announced his resignation as Post Falls High softball coach. He was head coach for a total of 17 seasons.

He plans to teach one more year at River City Middle School - and coach one more season of football, and one more season of middle school wrestling. Then, after the school year, he and Heather plan to move to Kalispell, Mont., where Shawna and her husband, Lake City High grad K.C. McDonald, live with their 4-year-old son.

"With all the stuff we've had in the last year and a half, we needed to be up there, and be with her," Foster said.

Foster coached Post Falls softball from 1997-2005, then took a year off to watch Shawna play her senior season of college softball. He came back in 2007, and in 2010 the Trojans won the state 5A softball title - the first in program history.

In the early 1990s, he was an assistant for one season under previous coach Chris Johnson - back when high school softball in Idaho was slowpitch - before taking over as head coach a few seasons later, after Idaho switched to fastpitch.

"It was a lot of fun; I had some great kids," Foster said. "I got to coach both of my daughters, which was really cool. And winning a state title ... the only thing I feel bad about was, I wish we were winning more games when I left."

The Trojans' 18-9 record in their state title season was followed by four straight losing seasons, including 1-19 this year.

"And it wasn't because of the kids," he said. "I've had more fun coaching the last few years as I've ever had."

Foster said he nearly resigned last year - Angie died early in that season. But he said "Angie would have been (upset) if I'd quit last year because of her; I don't think she would have been happy about it."

JACK FOSTER grew up in Coeur d'Alene, played football and baseball and graduated from Coeur d'Alene High in 1975. He played a year of baseball at North Idaho College, two years of football at Walla Walla Community College. He attended Idaho for a while before dropping out, then went back and got his degree in education.

He didn't start teaching until he was 30 - he had been in the restaurant and bar supply business. But even as far back as junior high he said knew he wanted to be a teacher and coach.

He started coaching in 1976, just out of high school. He coached basketball, then in 1977 he coached an ASA softball team which was the first from Idaho to qualify for nationals. He also coached junior tackle.

When he first took a teaching job in Post Falls, he was told they needed a freshman wrestling coach.

"I've never wrestled, but if you need someone I'll do it," he told them.

This winter will mark his 27th season of coaching wrestling. During that time, he also coached high school wrestling for 10 years. He's coached junior high boys and girls basketball, and junior high track.

For the Post Falls High football team, he coaches the offensive and defensive lines, and is the defensive coordinator. This will be his 25th season coaching football.

FOSTER SAID there was a period in time during his family's troubles when he would wake up and wonder if something was going to happen to him next.

"But my wife's doing great, Shawna's doing great, and our friends and our family have just been wonderful through all of it," he said.

Shawna works in the medical profession, and K.C. owns a security business. They met playing rec softball.

Foster said he's loved working with kids, and it probably won't hit him until next spring that his softball coaching days are done - well, here, anyway. He said he may teach and coach over in Kalispell, but he's not sure. His parents live around here, as do two brothers and a sister.

"There's a lot of it I'm going to miss," Foster said of coaching. "It's been a big part of my life. But what it comes down to, more than anything, is family."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.