There are certain people or times in your life that leave an indelible mark. The experience is powerful, and so positive that it stays with you throughout your life. The irony is that when you’re going through it you do not realize its impact. You may at times even hate that person. It may not be until years later that you look back and see the magnitude of this individual’s effect on your life. I was fortunate to have a coach that taught me the fundamentals of honor, discipline, self-respect and success. I thought it was time to say thank you.
It is remarkable how fate can change your life with such subtlety. It can be as simple as a walk through one door and not the other, or a chance meeting on line in a store. Whatever the circumstances, major events can have minor beginnings. My experience began when my football coach wanted me to stay in shape during the winter. He requested me to join the wrestling team. Coach was the dean of discipline. I feel certain his disciplinary approach had some influence on the “request” for me to join the team. Wrestling was not on top of my list of things to do. I was a sophomore and the idea of rolling around on a mat in tights was not appealing. As per my football coach’s “request,” I joined.
I attended A.G. Berner High School in Massapequa. I was on the Junior Varsity team when I met “Coach.” From the moment we met, he would constantly beleaguer me. He drove all of us hard and many a time I considered quitting team. Sensing this, he would pull me aside and tell me, “The door is for quitters, I didn’t think you ‘were a quitter.” Then he would grin and you knew he cared. No one ever left.
Wrestling is a unique sport. Classified as a team sport, it is also the ultimate individual sport. Success comes from within. Coach would always tell us to persevere and work as hard as we could. Preparation and conditioning were the keys to success. I vividly remember that sometimes Coach would be annoyed when you lost. Then other times he would give you a hug or a pat on the back. I didn’t understand! Then I realized he would only blast you when you quit, were not in shape, or were afraid; basically, when you let yourself down. Coach was teaching us not to fear life and give it our best shot. Self-respect and self-discipline were taught and learned. “Respect everyone and fear no one,” was a favorite mantra. Coach had a way of giving you confidence to do your best, to go for it and to dig down deep within yourself to show that you are capable of levels of success that you never thought possible. Coach also taught us to lose with dignity and honor. We were not allowed to blame others. He would say, “Go home and look in the mirror. Did you prepare yourself, practice hard, and give it your all without quitting? How can you lose when you’re already a winner?” He was turning boys into men and more importantly, he never quit on us!
So here is the irony. Did I win a State Championship or a County Title? No. I was actually not a very good wrestler and I never listened to Coach back, then. I didn’t listen until years later, when I faced the challenges of the academic and real world. It was when I feared failing Chiropractic school that I remembered all the lessons Coach had preached. Chiropractic was my dream and those lessons of self-discipline and never quitting, made it a reality. To this day, when I apply the lessons I learned from Coach to my life, I never fail. It was an honor and privilege to wrestle for Coach Jim. I owe him a debt of gratitude I can never repay. I want Jim to know he made a huge difference in my life and the lives of many others! Hey Coach - Thank you!
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