New Beginnings

It is November again, a year has gone so fast. Great to be blogging again. My theme is "New Beginnings" I am back in the classroom, teaching 178 kids how to make good work habits, work hard, have fun and enjoy exercising. The new beginnigs come with a new season, my 19th season as a wrestling coach. Hard to believe I have done this that long. Great work, challenging, energizing, and demanding. I am so up for the challenge. Takes me to new places I have never been. Write every week to parent, wrestlers and alumni, keeps everyone updated...a large family if you will. Great diversion, commitment, positive use of my talents. I don't know if I can ever give this up? I am not getting younger, so I may not be able to do this forever. My old coach from HS just was enducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Don't know if I will make it that far in this place call coaching. The proudest moments I have had are at the Tacoma dome....State Champions, runners-up, placers, competitors, a very rewarding and draining weekend. Kids from all walks of life enter the arena and some come away with memories for a lifetime, others walk away empty. I love the thrill of victory, I feel the pain of the boys who suffer in defeat. February is a dark and rainy month, but on that weekend, the sun comes out.....reminding us that Spring is near, and we fill the dome with 16 kids per weight and duke it out for the top 8 spots. Every kid wants a chance to stand on the podeum and share the thrill of placing, but only 16 per division can call themselves champions. So lets rev it up for another exciting season of High School wrestling. Let begin a new with fresh eyes, new ideas, new kids, and an optimism that will take us through February, all the way to Tacoma for another season of crowning our State Champions.

Death of Kyle

Kyle Roger has died of terminal cancer. I was at his school yesterday and saw the faces of the children that were his friends. I say the faces of his teachers and aids. His cafeteria staff that waited on him....that loved him. His principal who called on him in his finals days. Kyle was so strong, so loving, so kind and so courageous. He was so young. Why do we lose kids to this? How can this happen to such a young and beautiful boy? I took a few moments to pray for Kyle and the Roger family on Sunday when I got word of Kyle's death. Jocelyn must be crushed....if you read my previous post about this I can still hear the echo of him saying..."this sucks"

My thoughts and prayers are with you Jocelyn and Cara in a very difficult time!



P