Originally I had a long blog about how much I disliked another team for their lack of respect year after year. I then realized in true Coach Beatty style, I needed to keep my mouth shut and let the play do the talking. We played St. X twice this year in front of a total of 46,000+ fans. I know Mike G, I can hear you now in your raspy voice..." its all about the kids, they are still champions in my heart, the best team didn't win tonight yadda yadda yadda." I get it. I know Bob's 7 titles in 10 years (with a potential 8 in 11) are luck. The fact that in 10 seasons Trinity made it to the state finals 9 times, is just luck. Trinity's two wins versus X this year had a combined score of 83-7 were just bad nights for X. I am
thankful we were so lucky. I am also thankful to have the greatest High School head football coach in Kentucky history in Bob Beatty (and Trinity already had one of the best). A man who taught me a ton in my brief 5 years with him. I am better at my job today because of Bob's mentorship. I am thankful to have coached alongside Andrew Coverdale and see what his mind was like. Sam Adams, who became a great friend. I am appreciative I got to play for and coach with Coach K (an X grad nonetheless), to see the definition of a True Gentleman. The list goes on in on. While we may never be better than X (cough cough), I will cast my lot with those who wear the green and white any day.
While there is much to celebrate, I know right now, at this very moment, the staff and young men of that Trinity team are getting ready for Ryle next week. No one pushes you to be your best like Beatty and his staff. Sometimes that rubs people the wrong way but when they graduate, with multiple rings, and look back- they are almost all appreciative of the fact that there was a group of men who pushed them and held them to a higher standard. Trinity may not always win but the staff will always prepare you for the game. That is a great life /sports lesson. A great staff/mentor/parent always puts you in the position to win and never does anything to hurt those chances.
There is a saying that sometimes in life it is better to be lucky than good....I guess X wouldn't really know what either is like.
There was a really good coach and gentleman at X, Johnny Meiheus , Charlie Kuhn at Male and Paulie Miller at Flaget, and Dennis Lampley at Trinity. All cared about the kids and the game. But all of those coaches always gave credit to the other team where it was warranted. I never heard them say anything other than we did not play well, made too many mistakes, etc without saying but the other team just out played us, or beat us or have good talent and good coaching. A loss is usually a great teaching moment for lots of reasons, one of which is that sometimes you simply get out played and beat.A score of 14-13 and maybe a fumble late in the game or a call to go for a foot on 4th down and you lose is one thing. 83-7 in two games is not a problem of just mistakes, it is a problem that you got your butt beat and don't acknowledge it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right--very few can understand. It takes a late practice, in the cold rain, when it is getting dark quickly and you have many other things on your plate and you feel just a little fear creeping in and then someone screws up and you have to "go again." You do and then it is over and you drop from exhaustion. Then at some point it is suddenly for real, it is against Them and your have to "go again" and it works, works for all of you. The excitement, the fun, the feeling that you did persevere, and you are tired and sore but you know you somehow won. You also know that others had your back, it meant something to somany and then He comes up, looks you in the eye, hugs you and says"good game, I am proud of you ,way to go". That is when you do know and understand.
ReplyDeleteOh the Flaget Braves are to beat....
ReplyDeleteWe are the Shamrocks, the men of Trinity...
I may not have played it, but I certainly have experienced it, and sometimes firsthand. There is a wonderful documentary on TV called "The Boys of Fall" that explains what a young man should get out of playing football and how the coaches should coach. Some coaches live it, and some coaches should see it.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. It is probably the first time in your life that you realize that people other than your family can really "have your back" God what a defining moment.
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