Thoughts from the Coach

[FULL STORY]

Every year at the opening, with every team I have ever coached, I read a poem that I pilfered from my coach, Newman Athletic Director Billy Fitzgerald. Fear not, I’ve come to find out that he stole it from Bob Knight. I guess that all smart coaches steal from the great ones, but I digress. The poem is about what it means to be a Newman basketball player, click here to read the whole poem. The end of the poem reads, “A Newman basketball player knows that the true measure of his performance is not recorded in wins and losses but rather in how much of himself he has given to the game. He is what a small boy dreams of being and what an old man can look back on with great pride that he once was.” I get choked up every time I read that part.

Although I am the “old man” now, I was once that young boy, sitting in the stands with Walter F. Marcus Sr., and his kind and generous wife, Anne. She taught me how to keep score in an official scorebook, and fed me as many coffee candies as I could stomach. I thought then that she was the nicest woman, other than my own mother, that I had ever known. I now realize that, although she was actually keeping a very hyper 8 year-old under wraps, she was enjoying my company, and I hers. What prompted these awesome memories was a visit from a senior from the class of ’71, who played during that time in my life when I was a small boy dreaming of becoming a Newman basketball player.

Wednesday, Jay Lapeyre came to the Tuohy gym, a gym that he ruled in the late 60’s and early 70’s when I attended basketball games religiously. He came to speak to our current players, and that is when the memories started to flow. Jay was the greatest player I had ever seen play live. He is who Newman’s most valuable player award is named after. There he was back in the Tuohy telling my players what playing basketball at Newman meant to him. Tears filled my eyes. My hero was talking to my team, and motivating them in a way that I could never do. The following is a summary that in no way can compare to being there in person to hear Jay’s words.

He opened it up by asking the players why they played basketball. After the traditional answers of, “for the love of the game, to win a state championship,” ect., Jay suggested that what they are really playing for is pride. He said that they are working as hard as they are because they want something that they can look back on with great pride. I’m sure that Jay has no idea that we display the word PRIDE on both our practice jersey as well as the shorts. Jay said that even though they may not realize it now, they were paying this price so that they can leave their mark on Newman basketball. He went on to tell a few stories about how he didn’t have the outcome that he would have chosen. I won’t repeat those as Jay may not want the Greenie Nation to know his most embarrassing moments. But his point was perfect. He said that if he would have worked just a little harder, maybe ran an extra sprint or two, concentrated a little more, that he might have been able to change the outcome of some of those painful memories. He mentioned the fact that he will always look back and wonder what if….. Jay warned the players to always give their best effort, no matter what the endeavor. Again, I’m sure that Jay has no idea that our program philosophy is that of the Greek word “ARETE,” which means always giving your best. Talk about hitting the proverbial nail on the head.

However, the most powerful part of his speech, to me, was the part about how these players were not trying to “find themselves”, but rather, they were in the process of creating themselves. They are developing the character that will define the rest of their lives. How great is that? We need more people in this world to help kids develop character. I agree with Jay when he said that what makes Newman basketball special is the attention that is paid to developing the character of our kids. Jay said that out in the real world, he is never afraid of a challenge because he has been through it all. I hope that our players heard his message, that what they are doing now is molding the person they will become. When I was a junior in college, I had another hero of mine, Sean Tuohy class of 1978, tell me that when he goes out to get an account, he usually gets it because he will outwork his competition. Sean gives credit for that to the lessons he learned playing basketball at Newman. The message is clear, Newman basketball is about the life lessons we take from it.

Thank you, Jay Lapeyre, for your time, generosity, and most of all, for sharing a little bit about who you are with our players. Also, thanks for the memories that were sparked by your words. Go Greenies!!!!!

Kemper Todd