Teaching and Touching a Life

When I went into the kitchen this morning, I noticed a magnet on the refrigerator. It's an apple which says "To teach is to touch a life forever."

Since I work with high school sports, and my entire adult life has been working with either high school or collegiate athletics, I obviously come in contact with a lot of young people. Seeing that magnet made me reflect.

Recently, one of my former baseball players called me to talk about transferring schools. He is a sophomore in college this year and hates the school he's attending, but loves his team and his teammates. The college he's at is a small liberal arts college where I always thought he would struggle to fit in. The school attracts kids from all over the country but not a lot of locals and I knew he wouldn't have a lot in common with the majority of the other students. However, it's kind of a family thing for him to attend this school and, academically, it has a great reputation.

In any case, he wanted my advice on what to do. We talked for about 30 minutes and we've spoken and chatted on Facebook book a few other times about this. I was visiting with a friend when he called and, after he and I said goodbye and that we'd talk again, I sat down with my friend and was asked about the conversation.

I told my friend what was going on and about the advice I had given. During our conversation, we got around to why he was coming to me for advice. Well, the easy answer was that he knows I've been around college sports, understand transfer rules and know the coaches at his current school and the school to which he is looking to transfer. However, I also realize he's coming to me for advice because he trusts and respects me. I can only hope that my advice helps. It's obvious that, at least in a small way, I've touched his life.

This train of thought has also made me think of one other student-athlete whom I coached in hockey and baseball almost 20 years ago. When I first got to the school in the fall of 1990, I asked about the big defenseman we had and was told if he didn't make the team it would be because he was trouble off the ice. He had been in a boys boot camp and had troubles both within and without the school.

As far as I was concerned, he had a clean slate with me. Admittedly, I would probably tolerate a lot less from him than others but I took him on with an open mind. Over the two years (his sophomore and junior years) I worked with him, I had few problems with him. He had a temper which he needed to control, which I could relate to, but I was able to relate with him on his level when I needed to, and on my level when I needed to. There were times I ripped the kid up and down, and times when I sat him down and told him calmly and patiently why what he did was wrong. I also felt that I treated him fairly and honestly.

Seven or eight years later, I ran into him at a hockey game. I was happy to see him and happier to hear that he had a job he liked, a wife and kid, and that he seemed happy with his life. We joked around for a while and then he got serious and told me that I was the only person during high school who had showed any interest in helping him. He said that even when I yelled at him, it was different from others in that I always seemed to have a point to make. He told me without sports, he probably would have dropped out of school but that I gave him a chance that no one else probably would have, and he told me that had a lasting effect on him.

I'd like to think that I've touched the lives of more than just those two, and I'm friends with kids I coached when I was in my early to mid 20's, who are really only seven or eight years younger than I. But, at times when things in my life aren't going as well as I would like, I can think back on things like this and realize that, yes, I've touched a life in a positive and lasting manner.

The feeling I get, knowing I've done something good, is a great reward. For the rest of today, at least, I will carry that feeling and hope I can do more.