Who has made a difference in your life ? Think for a minute. Teacher, friend, pastor, family—————–coach ?
All are to be valued, and we likely can find several that have meant much to us. I could, in particular, name teachers that I worked with who had lasting influences on many students. And on a different page , the art, music, and drama leadership is powerful, reaching out to those gifted and focused.
But this time of year with football in the air brings to mind the many coaches that I have interacted with during my lifetime. Having worked beside dozens upon dozens through my years at the high school level, I can attest to the fact that there is no other designated group which has had a greater influence on hundreds of thousands of impressionable youth than coaches……….both in and out of the school setting.
Although my allegiance lies with both the University of Georgia (undergrad ) and Clemson University (grad ) , my daddy was a Georgia Tech alum. My first teddy bear was gold and white and named , appropriately, Jackie Bear, and the first song I learned ( after the prayers and blessings ) was RAMBLIN’ WRECK.
And watching the Jackets declare victory over a ranked Florida State team and then seeing Coach Key break away from his post-game interview to hug two players as they walked by reminded me again of the true value of coaching : character building.
Coaching never should be about just winning. There’s so much more. Kids from all walks of life and at all ages are being molded and inspired and loved ( yes, LOVED ) by coaches in all sports in all ways . And the REAL coaches, the ones who are aware of their influence and their role in the lives of youngsters, understand and respect this power.
A shout out to those who care, who relate , who model the good life. And a special shout-out to those I worked beside all those years at our beloved high school..
It wasn’t easy. We dealt with fans who cared nothing about anything but winning. We dealt with parents who cared nothing about anything but having their child on the field, on the court, on the track , on the course . We dealt with a bad seed or two ( happens in any profession ) . And we dealt with money issues, facility lacks, apathy among tax payers, and, not too often, fortunately , lack of support from the powers-that-be.
Thank you to “my coaches” ( and you know who you are ! ) who showed me your value in building character , loving the kids, leading in morals and values, and , in general, always being there for our young people.
Winning ? Yes.
Most important ? No.
I agree this is now football time however there is another part of it (not on the field) All that you said is true but I know someone who taught a lot of kids those values All kids aren’t athletic and band and director installed many values etc. For me Bill Martin did this for me
ABSOLUTELY !!!!! And that’s ” coaching ” in its own way. This particular thought came from the wonderful response from the Tech coach and brought back memories of some of my favorite people who were coaches. And I considered the #s , of course. Many coaches at all levels compared to one or two in the arts. But, believe me, I cherish my memories of band directors, art teachers ( my DIL is one ), and drama teachers. Thanks for standing up……………
Really love this one, thank you! If course i think of Danny. I personally witnessed him making a difference on and off the field!
And so did I !!!!! What a sweetheart he was indeed.
Thank you for reading my meanderings and thank you for always being supportive. You are a dear and precious friend.
My greatest coach was a scout master. He taught me what no other coach ever succeeded at doing, how to win.
What a wonderful tribute ! Coaches come in many arenas. Thank you for sharing.
This made me think about how many coaches I’ve had from 5 year old soccer to collegiate pole vault (athletics only, though I agree with the other comments about coaching beyond solely athletics). My guess would be … about 30 official coaches. In that mix were parents just trying to stay organized all the way to highly technical coaches. I remember only two as standing out well above the rest; they were relaxed, committed to listening to and speaking with me, unwavering in their support, and firm when my anxieties began to get in the way of sport. I remember one coach that I felt was so un-knowledgeable that I was better suited ignoring her. I wanted to move off her team; but, my dad said I could not, and he claimed that “there was something to learn from everyone.” And he was right. I had two coaches that were manipulative and hurtful; I quit playing soccer because of one and I regressed in pole vault for a year because of the other. Thinking of either of them, even now, makes me mad/angry/sad/hurt.
Coaches matter a whole lot! I’ve enjoyed my opportunities to coach others, and I hope there are more opportunities to come.
Thank you ! Thank you for taking my message and remembering —-and sharing—the many experiences you had with various coaches in various sports. You certainly proved my point.
All those years of watching you guys participate and I never knew about the rough times. Grandmothers are insulated, I guess, and that’s not a bad thing.
Loving you from Lavonia,
Di
Yes, I remember the teachers coaches, etc) from our High School Days who made us feel like “we had better mind” because they were “in charge”… FAIR but “‘in charge”… they gave us a sense of security!! …. and a feeling that “everything is going to be all right!!”
And so do I remember from my high school days. Such comfort in that feeling. Thanks for sharing……..
I remember Coach Pemberton, who inspired (maybe not the right word) to learn Algebra I. Looking back, I remember him as one of my most effective teachers at Winder-Barrow High in 1963-64.
Thank you for responding. Our paths never crossed but your comment says much about the influencer he was.
Never having been athletic, the only coach who played any part in my life was Coach Leonard Dowis. In all honesty, I learned far more about football play than history from him. We kids learned how quickly a question or comment about the game would distract him from Agincourt or the Industrial Revolution.
Instead, I would like to express my gratitude to Mary Annice Kaye, my beloved seventh grade teacher. She was incredibly encouraging and supportive of a shy girl who lived through books and vastly preferred them to interacting with her schoolmates. Mrs Kaye encouraged me to write stories. I loved that and was tremendously gratified that she read my stories to her two daughters. She was a rock. Everyone liked her, but I adored her.
There is another memory I treasure although it comes from a very sad time in my life. Many years later when my mother died, Mrs. Kaye was one of the first people to come to my parents’ home. She held my head while I cried and threw up.
Much love and total respect, Mrs Kaye. You deserve both.
What a lovely tribute to an amazing teacher !! I , too , had Leonard as a world history teacher. But our families had been friends for a lifetime , and when I was just a toddler, her told my mother that he would wait until I grew up and he would marry me. It was a fun friendship . I played basketball when he coached and always liked him, but I , too, remember his coaching talk in the classroom but I also remember that he allowed no politics to enter discussions——and that was a good thing. Thank God for happy memories.