Give thanks for what you have. If I were a different person, I might stop right there and close the blog, but being me, I proceed.
On Thanksgiving, I gave each of my kids a wooden sign that said, "Be thankful". As I reflected on the complexity of that simple statement, I realized that our ability to do so is deeply interwoven with all that we are...our family, our friends and what standard we use to measure our blessings.
Being thankful is really a choice that we can make or not make. A few years ago, I read a quote whose author, regrettably, I can’t recall. It read, “True wealth is not determined by how much we have, but by how little we need.” We’ve all heard of the artist who, having been born without arms, learned to paint by holding the brush with his/her toes. When I was a youngster, a popular dancer on TV variety shows (the precursor to “American Idol” and “Dancing With The Stars”) was a man named “Peg-leg Bates”, for obvious reasons. I suspect that most of us would find such infirmities limiting; I know that I would.
Also intertwined with the level of gratitude we feel in our life is how we determine whether our life has been “ successful”. This, I’m sure, is more likely to be done by old-timers like me.
In my case, I'm inclined to be introspective, and retirement, along with my chosen activity...wood-scrolling, has given me the time to reflect. One result has been to formulate an overly simplified view of success. Actually, I have concluded that "success" itself is a hypothetical construct*. (*Look it up)
When I was a young man, “success” was defined by whether my group of 16-year-old athletes could put a ball in the basket more often than some other fellows group could. (Frankly, in retrospect that seems rather silly.)
One of Frank Raispis’ favorite sayings is, “You pays your dime, and you takes your chances.” That’s Frank’s version of, “It (Life) is what it is”.
A year or so ago, I saw an alum who had retired from an executive position in a corporation to work for the Chicago Food Depository. He saw that as being more important than simply accruing more wealth.
More recently, Bob Gabric said that he isn't concerned about being acknowledged for his efforts as a coach and teacher because he wasn't doing it for the appreciation he might receive. He did it because that's what he chose to do with his life.
All three of those men have lead very successful their lives. They do not measure their success by their wealth or the perceived success of others. They’re not in competition with anyone else; only themselves.
Granted, being a better teacher, businessman or coach may have given them a measuring stick to determine their progress, but that was just a tool, not a goal.
By the way, THANK YOU!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Reflection #27 (Only 1049 to go!): Short Story Made Long
Preface: This is the story of why Saint Ignatius' mascot is the wolf.
Parts 1 and 2 have absolutely nothing to do with mascots or wolves.
Part 1: My "bucket list"...sort of.
While I have always loved teaching, there were things that I wished that I’d have time for...but didn't; e.g., playing the trombone, practicing tap dancing, reading all the "classics", and so on. I've often mused about the possibility that there may be people who might have been the world's best at some activity, if they had been exposed to it. Perhaps the world's greatest baseball player might have been born in the outback of Australia, but never had the chance to play...whatever.
Might I have had some latent talent that would surface if I had the time to pursue it? It turns out, NO!
Of all of the grand schemes and aspirations that I envisioned, the only one that I stayed with was scroll sawing; i.e., cutting images of things or words out of thin pieces of wood to make objet d’art . Having seen what some people are capable of, I'm pretty sure that I'm not only NOT the world's greatest scroll-sawer. I'm pretty sure that I'm not even in the top 50%, but I do love it. On some level, I think that I have the soul of an artist. (Disclaimer: Having the “soul of an artist” is not the same as having the “talent of an artist“.)
Part 2: Ornaments
When I practiced my new-found hobby to make some Christmas ornaments for members of the Development Staff a few years ago, John Chandler asked me if I would make 100 for a subset (math-speak) of the Ignatius community. So each of the last 5 years, I’ve made Christmas ornaments for the school. This year's ornament is of a wolf gazing up at the star that announced Jesus' birth. Along with the ornament, I’ve included an explanation of the significance of the "wolf" to Ignatius.
Part 3: Finally...the answer to the Ignatius Wolf question
On the crest of the Jesuits, there is the image of two wolves standing on either side of a kettle. The name "Loyola", as in Saint Ignatius of Loyola, is derived from a contraction of the Spanish words for "wolf" and "pot": "lobo y olla". The official explanation for their presence is that wolf stands for "nobility" and pot represents "generosity".
Very early in my career, I heard that there is a "story behind the story". Why those symbols? Ignatius was raised in the Basque region of north-eastern Spain, which was primarily a sheep-raising area. The story goes that when wolves would come around and threaten the sheep, the shepherds would boil the innards of dead sheep. Since the smell of boiling sheep would be stronger and more alluring than the live sheep, it drew the wolves away from the flock. Somehow, that doesn’t make the wolves seem all that noble, but who am I to judge.
There is also a version that says when the wolves went to the kettle, the shepherds would “smite” them with clubs. Personally, I doubt that version...but, hey, that’s me.
Parts 1 and 2 have absolutely nothing to do with mascots or wolves.
Part 1: My "bucket list"...sort of.
While I have always loved teaching, there were things that I wished that I’d have time for...but didn't; e.g., playing the trombone, practicing tap dancing, reading all the "classics", and so on. I've often mused about the possibility that there may be people who might have been the world's best at some activity, if they had been exposed to it. Perhaps the world's greatest baseball player might have been born in the outback of Australia, but never had the chance to play...whatever.
Might I have had some latent talent that would surface if I had the time to pursue it? It turns out, NO!
Of all of the grand schemes and aspirations that I envisioned, the only one that I stayed with was scroll sawing; i.e., cutting images of things or words out of thin pieces of wood to make objet d’art . Having seen what some people are capable of, I'm pretty sure that I'm not only NOT the world's greatest scroll-sawer. I'm pretty sure that I'm not even in the top 50%, but I do love it. On some level, I think that I have the soul of an artist. (Disclaimer: Having the “soul of an artist” is not the same as having the “talent of an artist“.)
Part 2: Ornaments
When I practiced my new-found hobby to make some Christmas ornaments for members of the Development Staff a few years ago, John Chandler asked me if I would make 100 for a subset (math-speak) of the Ignatius community. So each of the last 5 years, I’ve made Christmas ornaments for the school. This year's ornament is of a wolf gazing up at the star that announced Jesus' birth. Along with the ornament, I’ve included an explanation of the significance of the "wolf" to Ignatius.
Part 3: Finally...the answer to the Ignatius Wolf question
On the crest of the Jesuits, there is the image of two wolves standing on either side of a kettle. The name "Loyola", as in Saint Ignatius of Loyola, is derived from a contraction of the Spanish words for "wolf" and "pot": "lobo y olla". The official explanation for their presence is that wolf stands for "nobility" and pot represents "generosity".
Very early in my career, I heard that there is a "story behind the story". Why those symbols? Ignatius was raised in the Basque region of north-eastern Spain, which was primarily a sheep-raising area. The story goes that when wolves would come around and threaten the sheep, the shepherds would boil the innards of dead sheep. Since the smell of boiling sheep would be stronger and more alluring than the live sheep, it drew the wolves away from the flock. Somehow, that doesn’t make the wolves seem all that noble, but who am I to judge.
There is also a version that says when the wolves went to the kettle, the shepherds would “smite” them with clubs. Personally, I doubt that version...but, hey, that’s me.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Reflection #26 (Only 1050 to go!): ...And Then There Were Women
First of all, a shout out to the alumni from the classes of '66, '71, '76 and '81 who came to the reunion on Saturday (Oct. 15). I hope that you all had a good time. I know from my own experience, and episodes of "Everybody loves Raymond" and "Frazer", reunions can be scary events. Regarding these reunions: first, when the class of '66 graduated, they were only 2/3 my age; now they are 7/8 my age. They're catching up. Zeno's Paradox tells us that they will never catch up. (once a math teacher,...)
Secondly, the class of '81 was the only class at this reunion that had "GIRLS" that were alums. That actually prompted my next "Reminiscence".
In 1978, Father Joe Bowen was dealing with the question of whether Ignatius should go "co-ed". In retrospect, it wasn't the adventure (or in some minds, the "misadventure") that we thought that it might be at that time. Since then, Loyola Academy, Marist, Fenwick, Mother Guerin and De La Salle have all gone co-ed, or, in some cases, a variation thereof. The only school that I'm aware of that went coed before Ignatius was Nazareth Academy in Lagrange Park.
While Fr. Bowen appointed an advisory committee to debate the issue, he was the one that made the final decision. My concern was that we might announce that we were accepting girls, only to have no girls show up. As it turned out that was not the case. In fact, what surprised me was that several alumni, who expressed their opposition to the move, sent their daughters to SICP when the decision was finalized.
I wasn't sure what adjustments I might have to make with girls present. While I had attended a coed Chicago Public High School, Senn, my high school teaching experience was 19 years in an all-boys school. It turned out not to be difficult at all. I think that one advantage was that I had three daughters, two of whom were close to entering high school.
Within the faculty, there was a large increase in women teachers...5 in 1978, 14 in 1979. This change occurred in the midst of the "women's rights" movement, and I found myself in uncomfortable conversations with some female teachers. Things like why the Ladies' washrooms should say, "Women", because "Ladys was "condescending" and "pejorative", or that boys were more aggressive than girls because our culture demanded that boys be given toy guns and girls be given dolls. I won’t even mention the “dust up” over the fact that the Lords’ Prayer starts, “Our Father...”.
Honestly, I felt good about the change, and now it's not even an issue. I did have to slightly adjust my methods of discipline. Boys will react differently to certain disciplinary methods when in the presence of female peers than when in the presence of only boys. I don’t know what disciplinary approach was in an all-girls schools, but I learned to adjust when girls/women/ladies arrived. (For the record, by 1979 “hitting” or any form of physical contact, boys or girls, was no longer acceptable, and I know, as a father, I would not have wanted my girls touched as a form of punishment...especially by a man.)
There were other changes as a result of going coed. Washrooms had to be added and modified, and the gym locker room had to be divided.
One all-girls school, which closed soon after 1979, blamed their closure on Ignatius going coed, but that doesn’t explain why girls schools like Regina and Trinity have flourished after their so-called brother schools accepted girls. Did going coed save Ignatius? My assessment is, “No!” I think Ignatius was well on its way to recovery following the difficulties of the mid-70's, but there's no denying that it speeded the recovery.
More on this subject later.
Secondly, the class of '81 was the only class at this reunion that had "GIRLS" that were alums. That actually prompted my next "Reminiscence".
In 1978, Father Joe Bowen was dealing with the question of whether Ignatius should go "co-ed". In retrospect, it wasn't the adventure (or in some minds, the "misadventure") that we thought that it might be at that time. Since then, Loyola Academy, Marist, Fenwick, Mother Guerin and De La Salle have all gone co-ed, or, in some cases, a variation thereof. The only school that I'm aware of that went coed before Ignatius was Nazareth Academy in Lagrange Park.
While Fr. Bowen appointed an advisory committee to debate the issue, he was the one that made the final decision. My concern was that we might announce that we were accepting girls, only to have no girls show up. As it turned out that was not the case. In fact, what surprised me was that several alumni, who expressed their opposition to the move, sent their daughters to SICP when the decision was finalized.
I wasn't sure what adjustments I might have to make with girls present. While I had attended a coed Chicago Public High School, Senn, my high school teaching experience was 19 years in an all-boys school. It turned out not to be difficult at all. I think that one advantage was that I had three daughters, two of whom were close to entering high school.
Within the faculty, there was a large increase in women teachers...5 in 1978, 14 in 1979. This change occurred in the midst of the "women's rights" movement, and I found myself in uncomfortable conversations with some female teachers. Things like why the Ladies' washrooms should say, "Women", because "Ladys was "condescending" and "pejorative", or that boys were more aggressive than girls because our culture demanded that boys be given toy guns and girls be given dolls. I won’t even mention the “dust up” over the fact that the Lords’ Prayer starts, “Our Father...”.
Honestly, I felt good about the change, and now it's not even an issue. I did have to slightly adjust my methods of discipline. Boys will react differently to certain disciplinary methods when in the presence of female peers than when in the presence of only boys. I don’t know what disciplinary approach was in an all-girls schools, but I learned to adjust when girls/women/ladies arrived. (For the record, by 1979 “hitting” or any form of physical contact, boys or girls, was no longer acceptable, and I know, as a father, I would not have wanted my girls touched as a form of punishment...especially by a man.)
There were other changes as a result of going coed. Washrooms had to be added and modified, and the gym locker room had to be divided.
One all-girls school, which closed soon after 1979, blamed their closure on Ignatius going coed, but that doesn’t explain why girls schools like Regina and Trinity have flourished after their so-called brother schools accepted girls. Did going coed save Ignatius? My assessment is, “No!” I think Ignatius was well on its way to recovery following the difficulties of the mid-70's, but there's no denying that it speeded the recovery.
More on this subject later.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Reflection #25 (Only 1051 to go!): Odds and Ends
First, I'd like to thank those of you who extended their congratulations regarding my 50th anniversary. I received several on Facebook, which I read through the courtesy of my daughter, JoAnn. I'm not a member (or whatever people on Facebook are called), but I thank you. Besides alumni, that group included one of my wife's cousins...one of the O'Malley girls, don'cha know. (That sounds better if you read it with a brogue from County Mayo.)
Additionally, I received congrats from Chris McNamara and Tony D'Sousa. I mention them separately because they were both from the class of '92, and they were the inspiration for my blog regarding Mr. K*. Again, thank you. (*Mr. K = Ray Kizelevicus. One of these days, Ray is going to write one of these blogs. He says it'll be about "THE WALK for IGNATIUS".)
Secondly (or B), earlier this week, my wife and I spent a most enjoyable day visiting with a couple of great and dear old friends...Bob Gabric and his wife, Pat. Most alumni who can find my blog are likely to be too young to have known Bob; he left Ignatius and coaching in 1979. But he was the varsity basketball coach at St. Ignatius from 1968 to 1979. I was his assistant and the sophomore coach for the first nine years of that stint.
I think that it's safe to say Bob was a mentor and inspiration to Ron Cygan, Jim Luzzi and me. I have mentioned my admiration for him in previous blogs. Judging from the number of his former players who stay in contact with him, or ask about him, I dare say that Ronny, Jim and I are not alone in our admiration.
Anyway Bob and Pat have been retired for quite a few years and enjoying the good life in Arizona. They are both in great shape and very active in their community and parish. Bob is still active in athletic activities, mostly golf. I should probably also add that Bob gave me permission to pass along his email address to whoever is interested. I will only do that on a one-by-one basis. If anyone wants to contact him via email, you can contact me at james.spalding@ignatius.org, and I'll send it to you by "reply".
What we both found interesting was that, though we've only seen each other a half-dozen times since he and Pat left the Chicago area, we picked up our conversation/friendship as if we where chatting following basketball practice in the '70's. I think that is the sign of true friendship. I also was fascinated by how similar our views of life are after all that time apart. Surely, we must both be right!!!
Also, for those of you that might be interested, Bob highly recommended the book Me and Red, or it might be Red and Me, written by Bill Russell. Bob said it was well worth the read.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Reflection #24 (Only 1052 to go!): The Art of Being Smart
I have no illusions about my own intelligence; in the realm of "smart" people, I admit to being an outsider looking in. One the other hand, one of the two smartest people that I've ever known personally is the recently retired physics and math teacher, John Balaban. (Y'all can argue over who is the other one!) John is also a friend of mine, but there were a couple of reasons why I was hesitant to write this blog. It bordered on being POLITICAL (yikes!), and that is a can of worms into which I choose not to climb.
My true purpose here is to express my admiration for how John uses his intelligence. Being at Ignatius has put me in close proximity to a large number of smart people...not only students but colleagues. A common, but not universal, trait is that many equate intelligence with truth, and become dismissive of those who disagree. Truth to them is about who wins the debate, not objective reality. At this point, of course, the argument starts about "what is objective reality"...I think that's called "epistemology". (Don’t mess with a Loyola U. grad when it comes to the names of philosophy courses.)
John seeks what is right, true and just, but he continues to observe reality, modifying, confirming or rejecting his opinions. If John doesn’t think much of the “king’s new clothes“, he’ll say so. (Reference Hans Christian Anderson)
John, and his wife, Jane, are strong advocates for environmental issues. As a teacher, he would regularly take groups of students out into the "wilds" of north-eastern Illinois to clean up river banks and the like. On careers days at school, he would lecture on the value of preserving the wetlands and savannas. (Until I heard John’s lecture, I thought savannas were just cities in Georgia.)
He and Jane were so committed to the cause that, in 1997, they received The Nature Conservancy President's Stewardship Award in Washington, D.C., and locally, they received a stewardship award from the Chicago Wilderness and Audubon Society.
My point, however, is that John evaluates his principles, reconsidering their effectiveness. One day years ago, John and I were talking about "cabbages and kings", and he said that those who are 100% against nuclear power as a source of energy wouldn't be very happy if that source suddenly disappeared. As I prepared to write this blog, I asked John if he still felt the same in the wake of what happened in Japan this year. The response that I got could easily have been a whole blog by itself. The essence of his response was that civilization has to deal realistically with factors as they are, not some idealistic view of the way we wish it were.
To sum up, John uses his "smarts" correctly, blending his observations with his intelligence to make good decisions. Afterwards, he critiques that decision.
Finally, John was a heck of a teacher. The Mathematic Teachers’ Association awarded him the prestigious Wagner Award for excellence in teaching. Watching John prepare Ignatius’ brightest math students for a math competition was a joy to behold. On the other hand, Darcy Regan (’84) identified him as her favorite teacher because of his willingness to help students who didn‘t happen to be the other smartest person I know.
Congratulations, John, on a life well-spent...so far.
My true purpose here is to express my admiration for how John uses his intelligence. Being at Ignatius has put me in close proximity to a large number of smart people...not only students but colleagues. A common, but not universal, trait is that many equate intelligence with truth, and become dismissive of those who disagree. Truth to them is about who wins the debate, not objective reality. At this point, of course, the argument starts about "what is objective reality"...I think that's called "epistemology". (Don’t mess with a Loyola U. grad when it comes to the names of philosophy courses.)
John seeks what is right, true and just, but he continues to observe reality, modifying, confirming or rejecting his opinions. If John doesn’t think much of the “king’s new clothes“, he’ll say so. (Reference Hans Christian Anderson)
John, and his wife, Jane, are strong advocates for environmental issues. As a teacher, he would regularly take groups of students out into the "wilds" of north-eastern Illinois to clean up river banks and the like. On careers days at school, he would lecture on the value of preserving the wetlands and savannas. (Until I heard John’s lecture, I thought savannas were just cities in Georgia.)
He and Jane were so committed to the cause that, in 1997, they received The Nature Conservancy President's Stewardship Award in Washington, D.C., and locally, they received a stewardship award from the Chicago Wilderness and Audubon Society.
My point, however, is that John evaluates his principles, reconsidering their effectiveness. One day years ago, John and I were talking about "cabbages and kings", and he said that those who are 100% against nuclear power as a source of energy wouldn't be very happy if that source suddenly disappeared. As I prepared to write this blog, I asked John if he still felt the same in the wake of what happened in Japan this year. The response that I got could easily have been a whole blog by itself. The essence of his response was that civilization has to deal realistically with factors as they are, not some idealistic view of the way we wish it were.
To sum up, John uses his "smarts" correctly, blending his observations with his intelligence to make good decisions. Afterwards, he critiques that decision.
Finally, John was a heck of a teacher. The Mathematic Teachers’ Association awarded him the prestigious Wagner Award for excellence in teaching. Watching John prepare Ignatius’ brightest math students for a math competition was a joy to behold. On the other hand, Darcy Regan (’84) identified him as her favorite teacher because of his willingness to help students who didn‘t happen to be the other smartest person I know.
Congratulations, John, on a life well-spent...so far.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Reflection #22 (Only 1054 to go!): My Life Is "Golden"
I am posting this blog on September 5, 2011 to celebrate. While most of America is celebrating Labor Day, I will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the day that I started working at Saint Ignatius. Back then, it was called Saint Ignatius High School.
It has been a most wonderful and rewarding experience. Whether it was the Hand of God or just dumb luck, I can only say a prayer of thanksgiving for my good fortune. Officially, I retired 7 years ago, but I'm really only semi-retired, since I continue to teach summer school, participate in alumni-related events as well as a host of other school related activities.
I have had the privilege of teaching and coaching outstanding young people, and interacting with their parents. I've been blessed to have worked with the likes of Pat O'Mara, Frank Raispis, Bob Gabric, Fr. Mark Link and countless other talented and inspiring colleagues. By shear dint of their personalities and commitment, I was constantly motivated to do my best.
My relationship with Saint Ignatius has been more than a job. It has truly defined my life. Most of my best friends are teachers, or former teachers, at Ignatius. The greatest blessing for me is that Ignatius was where I met the lady who became my wife. Together, Mary Jo and I have raised four terrific children (all Ignatius graduates, I hasten to add), and now we are grandma and grandpa to the 8 most beautiful and intelligent grandchildren God ever put on this Earth. (That's not just an opinion; that's a fact.) They're also great athletes. I'm just saying!
SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I am proud of having been involved in the history of this wonderful school...through the good times and the bad. I have felt blessed beyond anything I would have had a right to expect. Today, I will celebrate this anniversary by sitting on my patio with my wife, enjoying a grilled hamburger and a beer...probably a Guinness. Do I know how to party or what!!!
Ohh! Wait! I think the coals are ready. Happy Labor Day!
It has been a most wonderful and rewarding experience. Whether it was the Hand of God or just dumb luck, I can only say a prayer of thanksgiving for my good fortune. Officially, I retired 7 years ago, but I'm really only semi-retired, since I continue to teach summer school, participate in alumni-related events as well as a host of other school related activities.
I have had the privilege of teaching and coaching outstanding young people, and interacting with their parents. I've been blessed to have worked with the likes of Pat O'Mara, Frank Raispis, Bob Gabric, Fr. Mark Link and countless other talented and inspiring colleagues. By shear dint of their personalities and commitment, I was constantly motivated to do my best.
My relationship with Saint Ignatius has been more than a job. It has truly defined my life. Most of my best friends are teachers, or former teachers, at Ignatius. The greatest blessing for me is that Ignatius was where I met the lady who became my wife. Together, Mary Jo and I have raised four terrific children (all Ignatius graduates, I hasten to add), and now we are grandma and grandpa to the 8 most beautiful and intelligent grandchildren God ever put on this Earth. (That's not just an opinion; that's a fact.) They're also great athletes. I'm just saying!
SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I am proud of having been involved in the history of this wonderful school...through the good times and the bad. I have felt blessed beyond anything I would have had a right to expect. Today, I will celebrate this anniversary by sitting on my patio with my wife, enjoying a grilled hamburger and a beer...probably a Guinness. Do I know how to party or what!!!
Ohh! Wait! I think the coals are ready. Happy Labor Day!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Blog #21: Only 1055 to go: Driving the bus
#21: Driving the Bus
I have often told new teachers, "The teacher who can teach and drive the school bus is more valuable than the one who can only teach". It’s harder to replace the person who has more than one skill. Years ago, the running gag among the staff regarding one of the members of the maintenance crew was that he'd never be fired because he was the only one who knew how to work the furnace.
That brings me to my real point. I've never considered myself a cornerstone; I'm more like mortar that “fills in” the gaps where needed. I believe that I used this same metaphor, when I wrote about Ray Kizelevicus.
During a short hiatus from coaching in the late '70's, on two different occasions, I was asked to coach a team that was coachless. Both times, I teamed up with another teacher to fill the gap. The first time, the 1976 sophomore baseball season was in danger of being cancelled because there was no coach. Fr. Stan Wisniewski and I had agreed, independent of one another, to coach if there was another adult to help. I had coached the sophomores from 1963 until 1969 and, while Father wasn't much of an athlete, he loved baseball, and he was more than happy to do the clerical work while I hit fungoes and pitched batting practice.
We were the quintessential “odd couple“. A 5’6” heavyset priest, and a slender (just kidding) math teacher...but he and I had been friends from the early '60's. I had always respected him for his intelligence and spirit; he had always enjoyed listening to me speak because he found it a challenge, when I started a sentence, to try to guess where I was going with it. Really we just liked each other and we had a similar sense of humor. Father passed away several years ago, and he is one of the many former colleagues that have gone to their final reward that I miss these days.
The second time that I was pressed into service as a coach was in 1979. The tennis team was without a coach, and John Chandler and I were asked to fill in. That was a little more daunting; neither John nor I had any background in tennis. Our philosophy was pretty simple: make sure the players had a place to practice and were able to get there, make sure that we had the equipment we needed, and make sure we got the players to the matches.
Astonishingly, Ignatius won the Catholic League Championship, and we had a doubles team that ended up 6th in the state. Heaven only knows how far they would have gone if they had coaches who knew which end of the racket to hold. Truth be told, John and I were blessed with some outstanding players. The first and second singles players were Russ Elderkin and Santiago Alva respectively, both high ranking players, and the rest of the lineup was talented beyond anything that we had a right to expect.
>An interesting sidelight, from our point of view, was that John and I were summarily released as tennis coaches at the end of the season, but it was legitimate. Rich Kehoe, who relocated from Loyola Academy to SICP, took over the tennis program and he was a bona fide tennis coach.
I have often told new teachers, "The teacher who can teach and drive the school bus is more valuable than the one who can only teach". It’s harder to replace the person who has more than one skill. Years ago, the running gag among the staff regarding one of the members of the maintenance crew was that he'd never be fired because he was the only one who knew how to work the furnace.
That brings me to my real point. I've never considered myself a cornerstone; I'm more like mortar that “fills in” the gaps where needed. I believe that I used this same metaphor, when I wrote about Ray Kizelevicus.
During a short hiatus from coaching in the late '70's, on two different occasions, I was asked to coach a team that was coachless. Both times, I teamed up with another teacher to fill the gap. The first time, the 1976 sophomore baseball season was in danger of being cancelled because there was no coach. Fr. Stan Wisniewski and I had agreed, independent of one another, to coach if there was another adult to help. I had coached the sophomores from 1963 until 1969 and, while Father wasn't much of an athlete, he loved baseball, and he was more than happy to do the clerical work while I hit fungoes and pitched batting practice.
We were the quintessential “odd couple“. A 5’6” heavyset priest, and a slender (just kidding) math teacher...but he and I had been friends from the early '60's. I had always respected him for his intelligence and spirit; he had always enjoyed listening to me speak because he found it a challenge, when I started a sentence, to try to guess where I was going with it. Really we just liked each other and we had a similar sense of humor. Father passed away several years ago, and he is one of the many former colleagues that have gone to their final reward that I miss these days.
The second time that I was pressed into service as a coach was in 1979. The tennis team was without a coach, and John Chandler and I were asked to fill in. That was a little more daunting; neither John nor I had any background in tennis. Our philosophy was pretty simple: make sure the players had a place to practice and were able to get there, make sure that we had the equipment we needed, and make sure we got the players to the matches.
Astonishingly, Ignatius won the Catholic League Championship, and we had a doubles team that ended up 6th in the state. Heaven only knows how far they would have gone if they had coaches who knew which end of the racket to hold. Truth be told, John and I were blessed with some outstanding players. The first and second singles players were Russ Elderkin and Santiago Alva respectively, both high ranking players, and the rest of the lineup was talented beyond anything that we had a right to expect.
>An interesting sidelight, from our point of view, was that John and I were summarily released as tennis coaches at the end of the season, but it was legitimate. Rich Kehoe, who relocated from Loyola Academy to SICP, took over the tennis program and he was a bona fide tennis coach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)