I Love You Guys

In Hoosiers, there's a scene just before the Hickory Huskers take the floor for the championship game where the Coach Dale looks at his players and says, "I love you guys."  Some people might not get that...how could a basketball coach say that to a group of players? 

Coaches know. 

Not everyone one of my players was "a love".  Many players didn't appreciate me, and to be honest, I definitely didn't appreciate all of my former players.  Most players, though I did really appreciate, and some of them I definitely - and still do - love.  Those players were the ones that I was able to bond with....someway, somehow, sometime.

Last Thursday, I was officiating a regional up in Freeport.  At halftime, I see an old face coming at me.  Steve Leathers played on a team I coached at Westmer in the early 90's, and I'm not lying when I say my heart skipped a beat to see him.  The same thing would have happened if another of a group of "those guys" did the same thing, but it was Steve last Thursday in a gym in Freeport.

That particular group of players at Westmer were special in a special way because they were the first.  My first coaching job was there, and so I wasn't much older than they were.  I think Steve said he was 45 now, so at my age now, I'm not all that much older.  While I didn't know it then, I was just a kid coaching a bunch of slightly younger kids. 

Steve played the game like it was a life-or-death battle, whether it was open gym, high school basketball, or a three-on-three tournament in Dixon.  (Yes, I played in open 3-on-3 tourneys with Steve and his brother Scott and Airren Nylin and Scott Spencer.  And we won.)  Steve had a passion for competition...he later developed a passion for basketball.  And when you put a passion for competition along with a passion for basketball...I suppose that's when the bond between coach and player really has a chance to develop and grow.

And as you can guess now, that was me...really still is.  I love competition, and I love basketball.  These are things that keep me loving officiating, missing coaching, and really missing playing the game.  (Although, I'm hoping losing some weight and gaining some strength in my knees might allow me a chance to play some ball soon.)

Seeing Steve last Thursday was truly heartwarming.  We hugged right there at half court ... the crowd probably was thinking that a fan was trying to influence my game decisions during the game!  Apparently, one of Steve's friends in the crowd recognized my name was announced to start the game, and the friend took a picture of me and sent it to Steve who was home.  Steve then drove to the game to see me.  We briefly talked at halftime, and then after the game we had a chance to talk for about 20-30 minutes after the game in the hallway at the school.  We talked about family and he caught me up on his family and former players.  He's working for Amazon now in the Rockford area, and he has a daughter in college and a daughter in high school.  He's divorced, but apparently is now dating, and his parents and brother are doing.  I know this seems like all mundane, boring information, but it was golden information for me.  Just to see Steve and hear about his life and family...truly a blessing on a cold night in Freeport. 

I think it should be a law that former players that fall in the category of "I love you guys." should be required to connect with the "ole coach" at least once a year.  That would be awesome.  There are so many former players that I think about from time-to-time and just wonder how they are doing.  I still get to see many from time-to-time in the area, and I happened to see Drue Kampman on television a couple of weeks ago.  I sure would like to know how all those guys are doing.

And to be honest, I even enjoy hearing the stories of the players that perhaps were as "loving".  I ran into Brandon Youngberg awhile ago, and he and I butted heads more than once and unfortunately we ended up parting ways as far as basketball.  But that kid was also one of those kids that loved competing and loved basketball, so I understood those parts of him and loved him for that.  I bumped into him maybe ten years ago, and while things didn't end up well in high school, I also enjoyed talking with him to see how he was doing.

Even just jotting these thoughts down brings my heart joy taking some trips into the past to think of those players...the practices, games, open gyms, award ceremonies, thrilling wins, heartbreaking losses.  IT WAS ALL SO GOOD!  I love you guys!