Coaches Are Very Special People

You find them in pee wee ball right on up to high school, or college and even in the Pros. Coaches are the people who get credit when their teams win and what a bum we got as coach when they lose.  Coaching goes way beyond winning and losing.

Most kids that play sports as they go through high school are with their teams and coaches maybe  more than their families. Coaches are teachers first of the the sport they are involved in but the most important job of a coach is to make that player a better human being.  That is part of coaching that is over looked  because of the value put on winning and losing.

During my travels from location to location doing ball games either on radio or TV or just as a fan I have just about run across every coach in the area at one time or another.  I have opinions about everyone of them as I watch them coach and how they deal with their players.

You may have seen in the Telegram Saturday that Joe Morrow had resigned at Faith Christian School as baseball coach after 15 years.  Joe has a regular job where he makes his living but after work you could find him either in the gym coaching basketball or baseball at Faith.

It doesn't matter whether you are in a classroom teaching all day or out in the work place coaching takes more than a couple of hours after school.  Those coaches that make big money from their coaching success give the coaching profession a bad name because 95% of all coaches at any level  are there because the thrill of teaching someone to improve is all they ever need from coaching.

I have found through the years that Joe Morrow fit that description that he was thrilled of being a teacher whether it was a baseball game or teaching a youngster the values of life.  He was made for Faith Christian. An honorable man when didn't need big pay  to do what he has done for 15 years.  Faith Christian has a hugh hole to fill with Joe's decision that his family needs more of his time.

I know of no  more noble decision any one can make that first keep God first and second your family.  Everything else in life is well down the list.  Joe's decision to retire  because of family continues the values that I have found in him when ever our paths have crossed.

Faith Christian has lost a valuable asset but all of us have lost a leader that has inspire many lives.  We all know that Joe will not disappear off the face of the map  but I bet he will still be at most any Faith game.  He will no longer be home late from a game that they didn't get back from until late at night or be gone all day on Saturdays to games.

Thank you Joe for all you have given to our youth in developing them at good citizens.  Thank you for being my friend.