The One and Only Andy Amway

By Sue Long

December 2024

Lancaster lost a sports legend earlier this week, when it was announced that Andy Amway passed away at the age of 86.

Lancaster County Magazine cover, March 1996 issue.

Mr. Amway (always Mr. Amway) was the longtime coach of Hempfield High School’s boy’s tennis (1961-2000), cross country (1962-1971), girl’s swimming (1974-2000) and boy’s swimming (1967-2000) teams. His won/loss/tie record over his career was an astounding 1,397 wins versus 244 losses (and 4 ties). His longevity led Mr. Amway to be declared the “winningest high school coach” at the time of his retirement, prompting Sports Illustrated magazine to recognize his accomplishments in one of its 1996 issues. He went on to be inducted into the Hempfield Athletic Hall of Fame and received the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame’s George W. Kirchner Award in 2006, thanking his athletes for making it possible.

Mr. Amway was my history teacher at Hempfield. His classes were tough but interesting. He taught his classes lecture style, thinking it would prepare us for college. The man talked non-stop for an hour, barely taking time for a breath. We furiously wrote down everything he said. Mr. Amway was also wont to test us. He expected us to enter the classroom, go to our desks and prepare for class. Chit chat was highly frowned upon. He’d purposely come in late just to test us. Heaven help anyone who deviated from the routine, as the wrath of Andy Amway would descend upon them!

One morning he entered the classroom and barked, “Starling, meet me in the hall!” My life flashed before my eyes. I was terrified. I made my way into the hallway, only to be greeted by a smiling Mr. Amway. He had a “suggestion.” As I was the sports editor (the first first female sports editor in Hempy High history, if I must say so) of the school newspaper, The Flash, he thought it would be nice if we took a picture of the boy’s swimming team boarding the bus for their first appearance in the state swimming meet. To sweeten the deal, he excused me from class, so that I could grab a photographer and get the picture. Whew! I got to live another day!

In the March 1996 issue of Lancaster County Magazine, we paid homage to Mr. Amway’s accomplishment with a cover story. He posed for the cover along with his son, Mark, and grandson, Ryan. He showed up at Allan Holm’s studio looking like a Christmas elf, as he donned a red golf shirt and green sweatpants. Not wanting to question his sartorial taste, I did my best to ignore his attire. Only later did I find out that the red paid homage to Hempfield High School, while the green conveyed his love for the Green Bay Packers.

Apparently, Mr. Amway had been in ill health. When I looked at the cover and read the words, “He’s Bullheaded, He’s Stubborn (his words),” it occurred to me he probably did everything in his power to live long enough to see Donald Trump be re-elected to the presidency. He was just that kind of guy!