A Coach's Legacy

Jerry had been
An athletic coach
Or sports director
At the high school
Or collegiate levels
For close to
Forty-five years
When I met him.
He had a quiet passion
For sports,
At least when he was
Walking his dog,
But you could tell
The teams
And the players
Under his direction
Were always
On his mind
And in his heart.
I never actually
Saw him coach,
But I could sense
Something of his style
In the way he was.
Sports were always
Much more than
A game for him,
Or a way of life.
Athletics were his way
Of teaching
The principles of life.
Win, lose or draw,
There were lessons
To be learned.
I saw his anguish
When one of his
Star pitchers
Was gunned down
In a senseless act
Of street violence.
I saw his exuberance
When his baseball team
Was on top of the league.
I saw his dedication
When there was a problem
With one of the fields,
And I saw the fruits
Of his labor
In the reverence of one
Of his former players
From over forty years before.
The guy had gone on
And retired after
More than thirty years
In the police force,
Yet he still credited Jerry
For being instrumental
In his life.
Jerry has seen
Vast numbers
Of his former
Students and athletes
Go on and have active
And productive lives,
Reflective of the values
He instilled.
He has even coached
Some of their children
And may end up
Coaching their
Grandchildren as well,
For coaching is his life.