We’ve all had the coaches that make us mad, that may seemingly make poor choices, or that you don’t always see eye-to-eye with. Yet no matter how bad or good our coaches are it’s no secret that, at some point in our athletic careers, we find ourselves wishing we had a different coach or that we’re taking our coach for granted.
Yesterday, a local high school coach from my area was struck and killed by a car while he was jogging early in the morning. He was the head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach. With football still making a strong run in the playoffs, as well as wrestling season just around the corner, the school and his family are, obviously, struggling. When I first heard about the unfortunate incident, I immediately put myself in the position of those players and wrestlers. I imagined that my soccer, basketball, or baseball coach was in the position of Coach Blanchette and was at a loss for words. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a coach in the middle of a season or even while I’m under his tutelage. But I have lost a coach before.
Three years ago in December, I lost one of my favorite baseball coaches to a heart attack. I was no longer playing for him but he was a local guy who had not only helped me but had been around our town for years. He had a dedication and knack, not only for the game, but for the kids he coached. It was more than just baseball with Coach Souligne, it was baseball on a personal level. He cared about how our family lives were going and how we were doing in school. To me, he was the perfect example for what a coach should be.
Because of that, I feel like I can relate (somewhat) to Coach Blanchette’s players. I never personally knew Coach, but I had heard nothing but good things about his character, expectations, and dedication. Each day he would wake up, lift, run, teach, coach, then go home, all while taking care of a wife and four kids.
It’s situations like this that we as athletes and players should recognize. A coach is someone who is more than just a teacher of the sport you play. They put time in; they work harder than even the players do at practice. A few years ago, George Karl battled cancer while still coaching the Denver Nuggets. He had a love for the game and a commitment to his team and the entire Nuggets organization that, even in bad health, he was there to teach and do whatever he could to win. Going off of that (yet not on the life-threatening scale of George Karl), my basketball coach stays up till 3:30 every night after a game and analyzes the film, then gets up early to come to school and teach for seven hours. I feel like coaches are underappreciated unless something significant happens: a big win, or in this case, a tragic accident.
My challenge to you is this: don’t ever take a coach for granted. They’re the reason you have the chance to play for the team you do and, without them, practices and games wouldn’t be possible. They take pride in you as well as your team. Appreciate what you have in your coach; don’t always look at the negatives. Coach Blanchette was a great teacher, father, coach, and person. He will be missed dearly. R.I.P. Coach. God bless you.
Yesterday, a local high school coach from my area was struck and killed by a car while he was jogging early in the morning. He was the head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach. With football still making a strong run in the playoffs, as well as wrestling season just around the corner, the school and his family are, obviously, struggling. When I first heard about the unfortunate incident, I immediately put myself in the position of those players and wrestlers. I imagined that my soccer, basketball, or baseball coach was in the position of Coach Blanchette and was at a loss for words. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a coach in the middle of a season or even while I’m under his tutelage. But I have lost a coach before.
Three years ago in December, I lost one of my favorite baseball coaches to a heart attack. I was no longer playing for him but he was a local guy who had not only helped me but had been around our town for years. He had a dedication and knack, not only for the game, but for the kids he coached. It was more than just baseball with Coach Souligne, it was baseball on a personal level. He cared about how our family lives were going and how we were doing in school. To me, he was the perfect example for what a coach should be.
Because of that, I feel like I can relate (somewhat) to Coach Blanchette’s players. I never personally knew Coach, but I had heard nothing but good things about his character, expectations, and dedication. Each day he would wake up, lift, run, teach, coach, then go home, all while taking care of a wife and four kids.
It’s situations like this that we as athletes and players should recognize. A coach is someone who is more than just a teacher of the sport you play. They put time in; they work harder than even the players do at practice. A few years ago, George Karl battled cancer while still coaching the Denver Nuggets. He had a love for the game and a commitment to his team and the entire Nuggets organization that, even in bad health, he was there to teach and do whatever he could to win. Going off of that (yet not on the life-threatening scale of George Karl), my basketball coach stays up till 3:30 every night after a game and analyzes the film, then gets up early to come to school and teach for seven hours. I feel like coaches are underappreciated unless something significant happens: a big win, or in this case, a tragic accident.
My challenge to you is this: don’t ever take a coach for granted. They’re the reason you have the chance to play for the team you do and, without them, practices and games wouldn’t be possible. They take pride in you as well as your team. Appreciate what you have in your coach; don’t always look at the negatives. Coach Blanchette was a great teacher, father, coach, and person. He will be missed dearly. R.I.P. Coach. God bless you.
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