Time to Celebrate Our Coaches!

When people think of what a coach is, many think of that coach for a sports team who’s constantly yelling and bickering with his players at the top of his lungs, but I’ve come to say they’re much more than that. A great coach is someone who is able to inspire his players, able to effectively communicate with them, but also able — and willing — to listen to them. A great coach is one that truly cares about their players, not just as players and performers, but as actual people: that’s the makings of a true coach. So to get back to what, or who, a coach is, a coach can be anyone in your life; it can be a teacher, a mentor, a counselor, a role model, a parent, a friend.

Now technically, National Coaches Day was about a week ago on October 6th, but that doesn’t make it any less of a reason to celebrate the coaches in our lives. These are the people that are there for us and help to make us better people — the best us that we can be. They are people that want us to do well, and they will do anything in their power to ensure that we reach the next level. They encourage us to strive for day-to-day improvement. They help us reach our individual goals. They represent leadership, mentorship, and inspiration. And even though they’re not perfect, and just like us, they make mistakes, but they always attempt to do their best for us — that’s what really counts.

Throughout history, there have been many great coaches who have impacted their sports, as well as the lives of their athletes. People like Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all-time, or John Wooden, a great NCAA basketball coach who taught his players that victory is more than just a number on the scoreboard, or even Nancy Lieberman, a coach who holds unprecedented records in both women’s and men’s basketball. These are, no doubt, great and phenomenal coaches who have all impacted the lives of numerous athletes. To me, one of the greatest coaching stories that really reflect the true values of a great coach is attributed to the late John Thompson who coached 27 years at Georgetown. Some people would even define him as a “hero”; this person is named Allen Iverson.

Well-known basketball star in the early 21st century, Allen Iverson, became famous for playing basketball for Georgetown University and then the Philadelphia 76ers. He credits his late college coach, John Thompson, for “saving his life.” Iverson, a promising recruit in high school at the time, was involved in a Virginia bowling alley incident which threatened his very future, but Coach Thompson was there for him, he took Iverson in and gave him another opportunity. Everyone believed in the talent that Iverson possessed, but Coach Thompson believed in who Iverson was as a person: this is why the late John Thompson will go down as one of the most influential coaches of all time.

Now when I think back to my former basketball coach, I see very similar values in him. I started playing for him in my sophomore year of high school. When I first started playing for him, he just seemed like a really tough coach who loved to yell, but as time went on, I realized that there was more to him. He was a tough guy, no doubt, but he really cared for his players and this was just tough love. Off the court, he’d drive us home, take us out to eat, take us to church, take us to events, play video games with us, and more. It was amazing, not just how much he cared about us as a team, but as individuals.

Now at the time, I wasn’t a great basketball player by any means. I mean I was subpar, at best, at dribbling and shooting the ball, my toughness wasn’t particularly high, and I was skinny as who-knows-what with not an ounce of muscle on my body. Despite all of this, he still treated me with the same level of respect as the other, older guys on the team. He still pushed me as he did any other player. It was apparent that he was determined and dedicated to the sport, he loved it with all his heart, but he also loved all of us the same way, and that really showed.

He taught me not just how to play basketball at a higher level, but he also taught me how to live, how to make it in life as a young African-American male. Keep in mind that he wasn’t the only strong, influential person in my life, but it cannot be denied that he’s done a lot for me and I truly appreciate him for that. Even to this day, two years after I played my last game for him, he still calls me from time to time to make sure that I’m doing okay and continuing to expand my horizons and do things that will eventually shape me into a better person. He was, and still is, everything I could ever want in a coach and much more.

There are many more stories of people in my life that I’d consider to be a coach, someone who has helped me become who I am today and who I’m going to be tomorrow, but instead, I want you to think about the coaches in your life. I want you to think of that teacher who’s more than willing to talk to you after class, give you pointers and tips — and even life advice. How about that friend in your life who’s always willing to go the extra mile for you, willing to help last-minute with that big assignment, and even willing to pick you up when you’re down. How about that family member who’s committed to convincing you to not take the easy way out, instead to sometimes opt for “the road less traveled.” These are the people that see the potential buried deep within you and they are dedicated to helping you reach it. These are the coaches in our lives. So today, I want us all to say “Thank you, Coach.”