COACH

I FEEL THAT THERE ARE FEW POSITIONS OF TRUST THAT HAVE A GREATER CAPABILITY TO HELP BUILD THE CHARACTER AND THE SELF-ESTEEM OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND MOLD THEM INTO CONFIDENT AND QUALITY- FUTURE MEN AND WOMEN, QUITE LIKE BEING A COACH. I WAS BLESSED TO PLAY ON FIVE DIFFERENT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS IN HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN I WENT THROUGH MY MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION, ONE OF THE ISSUES WE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH- WAS THE PURPOSE OF YOUTH SPORTS-AS WELL AS THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND PURPOSE OF BEING ONE OF THOSE COACHES. I PLAYED FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COACHES WITH VARYING STYLES, TACTICS, AND MOTIVES DURING MY EXPERIENCES GROWING UP-PLAYING MULTIPLE SPORTS. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF COACHING A NUMBER OF FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND BASEBALL TEAMS-FROM YOUNG CHILDREN-ALL THE WAY UP TO BEING AN ASSISTANT AND A HEAD COACH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST- I HAVE BECOME DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED WITH THE CURRENT CONDITION OF MUCH OF YOUTH SPORTS TODAY! AS A GENERAL RULE PEOPLE SURELY DON'T GET INTO COACHING -IN YOUTH AND EVEN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE MONEY! IN FACT, IN MOST CASES-THERE IS NO PAY, AND IT CAN BE A THANK-LESS JOB! SO, WHAT THEN -IS THE MOTIVATION AND PURPOSE OF BEING ONE OF THOSE COACHES, AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF EVEN HAVING YOUTH SPORTS IN THE FIRST PLACE? I HAVE WATCHED SPORTS EVOLVE FROM SOMETHING THAT WE LOVED TO PLAY BECAUSE IT WAS FUN...TO IN SOME SITUATIONS OF VERBAL AND EVEN... AT- TIMES- PHYSICAL- ABUSE OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ON TEAMS. THERE ARE STILL MANY COACHES TODAY-WHO SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR WORK IN HELPING GIVE TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE A POSITIVE AND GREAT EXPERIENCE PARTICIPATING IN YOUTH SPORTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY WHO DON'T SEEM TO BE COACHING "FOR THE KIDS" BENEFIT. ALSO, WHEN I WAS A KID, AFTER ONE SPORT WAS THROUGH, IF WE WERE INTERESTED-WE WOULD MOVE ON TO PLAYING THE NEXT SPORT THAT WAS IN SEASON. I AM SEEING MANY YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY WHO ARE GROWING TIRED OF PLAYING SPORTS RATHER THAN HAVING A LOVE OF THEM, AND AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THEIR PARTICIPATION! SELF- ESTEEM -BEING TORN DOWN- RATHER THAN BUILT UP IN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. KIDS ARE ALSO BEING FORCED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE TO PICK ONLY ONE SPORT AND JUST FOCUS ON IT...IF THEY EVER WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM SOMEDAY. IT SEEMS IN NUMEROUS INSTANCES THAT MANY ARE TAKING YOUTH SPORTS FAR TOO SERIOUSLY, RATHER THAN STOPPING TO CONSIDER IF: (1) ARE THEY HAVING FUN?! (2) ARE THEY GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE RULES AND INTRICACIES OF THE SPORT (3) ARE YOUTH SPORTS TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND HELPING DEVELOP CHARACTER, A SENSE OF SELF-WORTH, OF THE UNITY OF BEING PART OF A TEAM, AND LEARNING TEAMWORK? IF A CHILD ISN'T HAVING THAT TYPE OF AN EXPERIENCE IN PARTICIPATING...THEN I THINK WE ARE FAILING THEM IN THE PURPOSE OF HAVING ORGANIZED YOUTH SPORTS! I WAS PRIVILEGED TO PLAY FOR THREE YEARS UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF LEGENDARY COACH WALTER BROOKS. IN FACT, I WAS BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF HIS FINAL SEASON AT DIXIE HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS KIND OF A FREE-SPIRIT, AND RATHER THAN DEMEAN ME WHEN I WASN'T INCLINED TO CONFORM TO ALL THE STANDARDS HE HAD SET FOR US IN PARTICIPATING UNDER HIS COACHING, HE QUIETLY TAUGHT ME IN A FIRM BUT FAIR AND LOVING MANNER. AS I MENTION IN THIS SONG- I PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES REGARDING THE LENGTH OF MY SIDE-BURNS AND HAIR. SO, AT THE FIRST OF ONE WEEK OF PRACTICE, COACH QUIETLY PROCEEDED TO WRAP MY HEAD A FEW TIMES WITH ATHLETIC TAPE, AND HAD ME WEAR IT UNDER MY HELMET FOR THE ENTIRE PRACTICE! LATER, IN THE LOCKER-ROOM- BEFORE THE QUARTER-FINALS GAME, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WANTED ALL OF US BACKS AND RECEIVERS TO GET OUR ANKLES TAPED BECAUSE THE SUNBOWL FIELD WAS GOING TO BE SOGGY FROM A POURING RAIN THAT WAS FALLING. I DIDN'T WANT MY ANKLES SHAVED-SO I DIDNT COMPLY WITH HIS REQUEST. JUST BEFORE WE WERE READY TO LEAVE THE LOCKER-ROOM, HE PULLED ME ASIDE AND HAD ME REMOVE MY CLEATS AND SOCKS...THEN HE PROCEEDED TO TAPE BOTH OF THEM WITHOUT BEING SHAVED! NEEDLESS TO SAY...I HAD LESS HAIR WHEN I REMOVED THE TAPE IN BOTH INSTANCES! HIS MESSAGES WERE RECEIVED! IN OUR THREE YEARS PLAYING UNDER "COACH" WE ONLY LOST TWO FOOTBALL GAMES, AND HE FINISHED HIS CAREER WITH A TWENTY- THREE GAME WINNING STREAK. I NEVER ONCE HEARD HIM BELITTLE OR EVEN RAISE HIS VOICE AT ANY OF US! WE LEARNED TO LOVE THE GAME...AND WE LOVED HIM FOR TEACHING US! HE BUILT OUR SELF-ESTEEM AND CARED ABOUT WHO WE WOULD BECOME AS MEN, MORE THAN WINNING A FOOTBALL GAME OR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. HE SHOWED ALL OF US THAT GOOD GUYS (AND COACHES!) CAN FINISH FIRST AS WELL AS BE A BUILDER OF MEN! I WISH EVERY YOUNG PERSON ON A SPORTS TEAM COULD HAVE A COACH BROOKS AS THEIR COACH AND TEACHER! THIS IS MY SONG...BUT I WROTE IT AS A THANK-YOU FOR ALL OF US WHO- EVER HAD THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF PLAYING FOOTBALL...FOR "COACH"! THIS SONG IS SOMEWHAT LONGER THAN THE AVERAGE SONG...BUT THEN-HE WAS SOMEWHAT MORE THAN AN AVERAGE COACH!