Influenced by the Influencer
It always amazes me how as a kid growing up, we never realize the strength and influence of our parents. Most of the time we see our parents through our eyes at home and very rarely through the eyes of anyone else. It is only when we become adults that begin to see our parents through the eyes of others.
My father is a coach, a basketball coach, and a well-known basketball coach at that. As I child, I attended games twice-a-week on Tuesday and Friday. We also had the occasional tournament where my dad's team played more nights of the week. I would dread going to the games sometimes, but for the most part, I liked it. My father started coaching in the 1960's at Phillips High School in Birmingham, Ala., before desegregation in the South. I was too young to understand what was happening during that time, my father however, played a role in history, because as I understand it, Phillips was one of the first high schools in Birmingham to desegregate. After my second grade year, my dad took a job in Opelika, Ala., near Auburn. At the age of 7 I was forced to leave the school, friends and my home to move two and half hours away. I was mortified. My younger sister had not begun school yet so she had no idea what it meant to move and leave your school and friends. My dad was the basketball coach at the only high school in the town, Opelika High. The kids were close to my dad and my dad was close to the kids. Opelika was a typical small town, everyone knew everyone else. Income levels were all over the map, rich, middle income and poor. My father definitely had influence on the kids and players in this small town high school. My father was hard on them, and most of them at high school age, didn't realize what being hard on them meant something good. Most of my dad's players and students only realized the influence he had on them, when they became much older. One of my dad's players became the pilot of Air Force One, flying it for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush before retiring. I believe he achieved greatness because of the influence my dad had on this kid when he was in high school. To this day, my father remains friends with this former player.
After Opelika, we moved back to Birmingham where my father finished out his nearly 40-year career in the Jefferson County school system at Minor High. My dad coached for a time in private school and for a few months at Huntingdon College. During most summers he continued coaching kids at many, many basketball camps. My dad is a kids coach, he loves coaching for the kids' sake. He also loves having a positive influence on them. I never knew what influence he had on his players until meeting some of them. I respect my dad very much. Not to say that we don't see eye-to-eye sometimes. But at the end of the day in my mind, he has achieved great things as a coach. At 70-years young, he still coaches in the NBA Player's Association Camp during the summers. He also coached last summer in the LeBron James' camp in Ohio. I from time-to-time get to witness his influence.
Yesterday, I took my dad to the Davidson Basketball game they were in town to play one of the local colleges. He wanted to go for one specific reason, in order to see Stephen Curry, the number one scoring player and a kid he worked with at the LeBron James' camp. The game was a sell-out due in part because of Curry. While standing in line to get in the door, several young men ran up to us to see my father. He taught them PE in private school when they were in the sixth grade. They were excited to see my dad and told him how much they missed him as a teacher. My dad the influencer.
Once inside, the arena quickly filled up every seat. Most kids at the game waited with baited breath for Curry to take the court. My dad watched at the railing, Curry warm-up. Finally, my dad and Curry connected. My dad told me what a great kid Curry was, that he was respectful, he did good in school and he has his head on straight. Kids with their heads on straight are my dad's favorite kids to work with. It wasn't until after the game, that I realized exactly how much influence my dad had on Curry until my father saw him. We had waited in the arena to see him, only to learn that the team had to be moved to another facility on campus due to the water pressure in the locker rooms. After finally learning where the team was, my dad proceeded past security (or tried to get past security) to talk to Curry. Curry saw my dad and told security, I know him, let me out to see him. As I was making my way down the stairs to my dad, I saw Curry give my dad a great big hug. The kid was mesmerized to see my dad standing there. He was listening intently to every word my dad had to say. For that moment, Curry was not the big star, he was just a kid who was influenced by my dad, at camp last summer.
From that one single exchange yesterday, I know like never before, the influence that my dad, the coach, has on kids. And the influence they have on him. I was taken by the way Curry responded to my dad and my dad to him. It was like two old friends catching back up after being apart for a period of time. They just picked right up from where they left off.
I know my dad has had tremendous influence on a number of lives over the years. I see it each and every time I see one of his old students. He continues to have influence on kids and others he works with. It is a trait I hope I immolate. I believe he will always have influence on the people he works with or meets.
As I continue through life, the one thing that I hope always remains constant in my life is my dad's influence. Not only the influence that he has on others, but the influence he has on me.
My father is a coach, a basketball coach, and a well-known basketball coach at that. As I child, I attended games twice-a-week on Tuesday and Friday. We also had the occasional tournament where my dad's team played more nights of the week. I would dread going to the games sometimes, but for the most part, I liked it. My father started coaching in the 1960's at Phillips High School in Birmingham, Ala., before desegregation in the South. I was too young to understand what was happening during that time, my father however, played a role in history, because as I understand it, Phillips was one of the first high schools in Birmingham to desegregate. After my second grade year, my dad took a job in Opelika, Ala., near Auburn. At the age of 7 I was forced to leave the school, friends and my home to move two and half hours away. I was mortified. My younger sister had not begun school yet so she had no idea what it meant to move and leave your school and friends. My dad was the basketball coach at the only high school in the town, Opelika High. The kids were close to my dad and my dad was close to the kids. Opelika was a typical small town, everyone knew everyone else. Income levels were all over the map, rich, middle income and poor. My father definitely had influence on the kids and players in this small town high school. My father was hard on them, and most of them at high school age, didn't realize what being hard on them meant something good. Most of my dad's players and students only realized the influence he had on them, when they became much older. One of my dad's players became the pilot of Air Force One, flying it for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush before retiring. I believe he achieved greatness because of the influence my dad had on this kid when he was in high school. To this day, my father remains friends with this former player.
After Opelika, we moved back to Birmingham where my father finished out his nearly 40-year career in the Jefferson County school system at Minor High. My dad coached for a time in private school and for a few months at Huntingdon College. During most summers he continued coaching kids at many, many basketball camps. My dad is a kids coach, he loves coaching for the kids' sake. He also loves having a positive influence on them. I never knew what influence he had on his players until meeting some of them. I respect my dad very much. Not to say that we don't see eye-to-eye sometimes. But at the end of the day in my mind, he has achieved great things as a coach. At 70-years young, he still coaches in the NBA Player's Association Camp during the summers. He also coached last summer in the LeBron James' camp in Ohio. I from time-to-time get to witness his influence.
Yesterday, I took my dad to the Davidson Basketball game they were in town to play one of the local colleges. He wanted to go for one specific reason, in order to see Stephen Curry, the number one scoring player and a kid he worked with at the LeBron James' camp. The game was a sell-out due in part because of Curry. While standing in line to get in the door, several young men ran up to us to see my father. He taught them PE in private school when they were in the sixth grade. They were excited to see my dad and told him how much they missed him as a teacher. My dad the influencer.
Once inside, the arena quickly filled up every seat. Most kids at the game waited with baited breath for Curry to take the court. My dad watched at the railing, Curry warm-up. Finally, my dad and Curry connected. My dad told me what a great kid Curry was, that he was respectful, he did good in school and he has his head on straight. Kids with their heads on straight are my dad's favorite kids to work with. It wasn't until after the game, that I realized exactly how much influence my dad had on Curry until my father saw him. We had waited in the arena to see him, only to learn that the team had to be moved to another facility on campus due to the water pressure in the locker rooms. After finally learning where the team was, my dad proceeded past security (or tried to get past security) to talk to Curry. Curry saw my dad and told security, I know him, let me out to see him. As I was making my way down the stairs to my dad, I saw Curry give my dad a great big hug. The kid was mesmerized to see my dad standing there. He was listening intently to every word my dad had to say. For that moment, Curry was not the big star, he was just a kid who was influenced by my dad, at camp last summer.
From that one single exchange yesterday, I know like never before, the influence that my dad, the coach, has on kids. And the influence they have on him. I was taken by the way Curry responded to my dad and my dad to him. It was like two old friends catching back up after being apart for a period of time. They just picked right up from where they left off.
I know my dad has had tremendous influence on a number of lives over the years. I see it each and every time I see one of his old students. He continues to have influence on kids and others he works with. It is a trait I hope I immolate. I believe he will always have influence on the people he works with or meets.
As I continue through life, the one thing that I hope always remains constant in my life is my dad's influence. Not only the influence that he has on others, but the influence he has on me.
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