The next three weeks of track and field in Illinois will be at its peak. There will be seniors running their last races at sectionals and it can be a sad day for some coaches as their athletes move on to college to continue their track and field careers. These final weeks, the coaches are focused on getting the best performances out of their athletes. Some will win conference, sectional and even state titles. In most cases the athlete won't end up on the podium or break a record.
A strong bond between athletes whether they are teammates or opponents can be very difficult to break (Colin Boyle Image)
There are times when we coaches get so wrapped up in winning that we overlook the journey and that of our athletes. These past couple of weeks something made me look at the overall journey a little more. As I was working on this, I received word that one of my high school classmates had passed away. The older one gets, the more you start to look at things a little differently and appreciate things a little more. I've realized that I have left an imprint on athletes' life that they nor I will ever forget. A couple will don their caps and gowns and graduate from college this weekend.
This past indoor season my squad (Dominators) went to the Kentucky Invite. On my way out the door, my brother Chris stopped me and asked did I have a minute. He wanted to introduce me to someone before I left. I had no idea that what I would say would be taken so seriously especially since this person and I had never met. I am introduced to Brigetta and her family begins to tell me of her situation with her legs. It was a sad story, she couldn't run and the indoor season was just ending. A huge decision was going to have to be made on having the surgery now and pray that things fell into place and MAYBE attempt, if all went well, at a chance to run again before her senior year ended. I'm thinking I'm just a track coach, not a doctor. But my brother told the family before I was introduced, "my brother will have the answer." I tell Brigetta and her family that I would go ahead and have the surgery now. I offered to send some workouts if things went well to help her make an attempt at state. My brother felt because I had gotten one of my athletes ready from scratch to become a regional champion in the 100/200m and qualify for state, that I'd be perfect for the job. The whole outdoor season is about over and it crossed my mind a couple of times of how things went. Since I knew academically she would go to college anyway, I figured that's the route that was taken.
Last Tuesday, out of nowhere, I hear from Brigetta and she says she decided to take my advice and have the surgery. She was in pretty good shape and could even practice every other day on a track but was lacking speed. Oh and the sectional meet is this Saturday. I quickly sent her a couple of workouts hoping they'd be enough to get her to state. I know I wrote five to ten different workouts. It had gone from not being able to run at all and surgery, to possibly shocking the world at sectionals. The rest of the week, we stay in contact. Step by step I found myself feeling nervous in the middle of this journey. Meet day comes and I send her a two word message -- Make History! Brigetta's reply was "Got It Coach!" During a storm delay at the junior high regional meet, I get a message. Brigetta had shocked the world and made it to state!!! It doesn't even matter if she wins state because she has already won in life! The perseverance she showed with this situation will carry her the rest of her life. When things get bad in her adult life, she will look back at this journey and press forward. She has to be one of the most determined athletes I've ever met.
Former Waubonsie Valley superstar Shakeia Pinnick (Daily Herald photo credit)
Tiara is the daughter I never had. We act the same and think the same way on a lot of issues. Everybody in town has thought for years she was my daughter but we're just very close. In youth track, Tiara was the rival of former Waubonsie Valley superstar Shakeia Pinnick (one of Illinois' greatest who went on to star at Arizona State Univ). Tiara was dropping 59.10/2:21.00 times as a junior high athlete and # 5 in the US in the 800m in 2005. We had dreamed of her making the 2016 Olympic team. Tiara's high school track career collapsed with foot issues while many of her former competitors going to Division 1 schools and it was very frustrating. Tiara's feet held up enough to go to Quincy College in basketball and lead them to a playoff run this year, her senior year. I actually paid attention to her journey while it was happening. The early morning, evening and even in the rain workouts at Mueller Park are days I will always remember. No, she didn't go to Tennessee to play for the legendary Pat Summitt (her basketball dream), no Olympics in 2016 but the journey this Sunday will lead her to graduating from college.
Finally, I've been coaching a junior high kid named Dev. He's focused, works hard, is very coachable, and receiving some hate from his coach. He is really not a 100m runner, he's a 200/400m guy but the coach refuses to put him in the 200m. He's trying to qualify for state this weekend. He could've quit the team but he kept working. He may not win state, but the journey from meet to meet and week to week chasing the dream is what has been fun. I've watched him grow as a person and an athlete. I've watched his time drop in a few weeks from 13.52 when we met to 12.10 now. So Dev wins!
Ultimately one's success has to be credited to a higher source (Colin Boyle image)
All of this is coming from a guy (me) who at the barbershop people say is competitive on the level of Jordan and Kobe. My own son bought me a shirt from Nike that says "I Have To Win!" I'm sure I'm not the only coach that gets caught up in winning, but I've learned to enjoy the journey as well.
This is dedicated to a former MacArthur General (86)
RIP Lloyd Baltimore (One of the Cool Ones)