Coach...

We all know a person or two that somehow brought out the best in us. Their words made sense and broke through and penetrated the inner ear and touched our brain. When it happens to a teenager, the person that makes a difference is very influential and has an important gift.

The basketball coach we had my senior year did influence a lot of young athletes. Now I must say this person was not liked by everyone but Coach didn’t care what anyone thought of him as long as his players played hard and we did.

There were a few of us who really got to know Coach because he came to the back of the bus where about eight of us, varsity and JV, would talk about things going on in our lives. We didn’t need to talk basketball but after a tough game the subject did come up. I remember him saying after a tough game in Wilbur that referees don’t win or lose games but they can make it awfully tough on you.

Coach was the first coach I ever had that didn’t sit in the front of the bus and visit with the assistant coach to and from Ritzville. We loved it and it is one of the fondest memories I still have of that season.

I also remember him coming up to me after a football game that we won and he gave me a hug and said, “After beating all these teams in football their not gonna be happy with us in basketball, so we’re just gonna have to work hard!” And boy did we work hard.

After the first game of the basketball season we lost a two-point game at home to Colfax. I was the last person out of the locker room and I wasn’t real happy. Coach came up to me and asked what was wrong. I said, “We lost.” Coach said, “Yeah, but how do you think you played?” I said, “I think I played about as hard as I could have. I missed a few shots but I think my defense was pretty good.” Coach said, “Then you won. As long as you give your best effort every night in practice and in every game you will always win. Don’t worry about the scoreboard. Just give everything you’ve got.”

My attitude changed quickly. Our team worked hard and battled through a very tough league. At one point we had lost four games in row by a total of 12 points. We were 7-11 and needed one win and a Grand Coulee loss to be tied for sixth place and have a playoff game to get in to the Bi-County playoffs.

Those two scenarios happened. So we beat Creston on Friday, Medical Lake on Saturday and traveled to Davenport on Monday for the playoff game. We beat Grand Coulee that night, beat Wilbur on Wednesday night and Freeman on Friday night. We won five games in eight nights to go to district as the third place team in the Bi-County. At District we win three out of four to go qualify for state.

So if you’re counting at home we won seven games in just over two months. We followed that up by winning eight games in just over two weeks. At state we won two and lost two to take home the seventh place trophy. No one knows for sure how close we were to only being the seventh place team in our league.

The trip home from Spokane after earning that seventh place trophy was pretty special. The starters rode home with Jimmie Snider in his big Pontiac station wagon. The trophy was sitting between Jimmie and me.

When we arrived in Ritzville I took the trophy out of the front seat along with my basketball gear. I handed the trophy to coach and said, “Should we put this in the school?” Coach just said, “Take that trophy home with you Dale, you deserve that.”

I don’t know what I said to him since I really didn’t know what to say but maybe thank you. My folks were still up when I got home and they couldn’t believe that I had the state trophy in hand. So my dad got his camera out and he must have taken twenty pictures or so. I still have several of them.

It is memories like this that will endure until I take my last breath. I hadn’t talked with Coach for close to 40 years. When I saw Randy Hanson over Memorial weekend we talked about Coach and he told me that he is living in Arizona.

He gave me Coach’s phone number and I’ve talked to him a couple of times in the last two weeks.

Those great memories and emotions have returned from that magical time that we experienced 42 plus years ago. Though many didn’t think we should have been there they all know we earned it when it mattered most and we owe it all to Coach.