I did not grow up in a family who loved sports. In the 6th grade I gave softball a try. Fielding a ball, I knocked off a press-on nail and decided softball wasn't for me. I faithfully ran cross country through middle school and high school though I never excelled. But long, hot runs after school that included a stop at Diary Queen for a blizzard probably didn't help! Maribeth Bleymaier-Oscamou--remember this?? I liked running because it wasn't a team sport like volleyball or basketball. The thought of the opposing team cheering against me did not spur me on to become better. Ironically, I coached cross country and track while I was a middle school teacher. You can be sure my family laughed about that one :)
Zach was quite the opposite. He excelled in 3 sports, not for his innate athletic ability, but because of hard work. He loved hearing the opposing team cheer against him and said it made him work harder and perform better. When we married I was only partially aware of how much time he wanted to commit to coaching. At one point he coached 3 sports in a single school year. Oy vay--that was rough even for him. Zach's battle has made a lot of things come to light for me. Although sports wasn't an important part of my life growing up, I now understand how important a coaches' role is in the lives of athletes.
The following reminds me why I am thankful for the sacrifices we made so Zach could coach. Ryan Lundgren, a friend of the family, wrote the following and I am sure some of Zach's former and current basketball players can attest to his passion for the game, his love of coaching and his high expectations.
Way too late on a Sunday night to be composing a full blown "note" on Facebook but it's necessary. Let me reflect. I can't lie, the thing that spurred me writing this thing was the concert we saw tonight. Wow... let's start there. Bruce Springsteen absolutely rocked Reunion Park in Dallas Texas tonight. The man played for three straight hours in the pouring rain and no one seemed to notice or even care. It was a life changing performance, something I've only experienced one other time with live music, compliments of the Rolling Stones. This show was more than that, it was something spiritual. I vow to myself that won't be the last time I see Springsteen live in concert. Quoting the great Jimmy Valvano "If you laugh, cry and think in the same day....that's a heck of a day." That notion can be applied to tonight's concert. The real reason I want to write this is to talk about a couple people in my life that are fighting a hell of a fight with cancer.
My cousin Vinny is 25 years old and is currently in Salt Lake City battling his second bout with cancer. This time, tumors are spreading around his body and they are hoping that the chemo/radiation will stunt their growth and move him on the path to recovery. The SLC news stations came in the other day and filmed him marrying his fiance in the hospital....pretty special moment. I remember growing up and hanging with Vinny and his brother Trevor. Those were my two male cousins that I could really relate with, I have a lot of great memories at family reunions and get togethers throughout Montana. It's tough because life has sent Vinny and I down different paths, much like it does to everyone. We haven't had the chance to get together, or even talk often with eachother for the past several years. Despite that, I still hold you close to my heart as a cousin and friend. Sometimes life's not fair, but the only thing you can do is just keep moving forward and fighting each little battle until finally, you win the war!... and I know you'll do that, stay positive my man.
The second person is Zach Ingersoll. Zach is the brother of one of my best childhood friends, Ben Tucker. I have so many memories from childhood of Zach and the entire Tucker family. That was my second home...Kris, don't think I forgot those Tuna melts!! $$$$! Hours of backyard baseball, football, dunk ball, kick the can, toilet papering, we did it all at the Tucker household...those are some of the best memories of my life. Zach was recently diagnosed with cancer and is battling like hell to kick the nasty diseases ass. I know he will. My main memory of Zach comes from my freshman year of high school. He was the assistant coach of our freshman basketball team, and was a hell of a coach. He was always intense, and demanded that everyone play hard in every drill. He could definitly get under your skin, but he also did a phenomenal job of building you up and giving you confidence as a player. It's funny the little things you remember in life, but this is one: We had just got done playing a home game, can't remember who it was against, but our starting 5 was injured and didn't play. Because of this injury I played a lot of minutes that game and played well, can't remember the stat line but I'm sure Stew could dust off the books!!
I remember after that game Zach pulled me aside and said something to the effect of "Ryan, you were incredible tonight. When you play like that, we are the best team in the league. Keep playing with that confidence." It's moments like that that stick with you and affect you going forward in life. I have no doubt that Zach positively affected hundreds of kids while he was coaching, both at Hillside and most recently at Rocky Mountain. I also do not doubt that Zach's comment and his commitment to coaching our team that year played a role in my love for the game, and chosen career path of coaching. That's the greatest thing about coaching, you touch and impact so many lives without even knowing it. If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life!
I've been following Zach's battle on his online blog and also staying in touch with Ben for updates. It sounds like Zach is kicking its ass, as expected. I know he will come out on top in his fight. It's incredible what positive thinking and bravery can do.
There are so many other people I could shout-out and talk about their importance in my life, but you know what? It's 3am and I got an early morning, so I'll spare myself and you. Life is too damn short to hold grudges, have regrets and not speak your mind. Hug your brother, kiss your mother and laugh with ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Life has never been more beautiful.....Vinny and Zach, keep fighting the good fight!
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