Inspirational Series

I have decided that I am going to begin a series of posts to recognize people in my life that have inspired me by their dedication and determination to achieve a goal they set forth in their lives.  These people are extraordinary individuals that I have been privileged to share a part of my life with and who have affected and changed me in many ways.  As I continue to work towards overcoming my own challenges and obstacles in life, I look to them for motivation to know that one day I too can achieve my goal of a sustained healthy lifestyle.  The people that I choose to chronicle in these posts are not a complete and exhaustive list of the many people who have moved me in my lifetime, but they are a sample of the amazing individuals that I am blessed to know.  Many of them are former students that I have taught in school, driver's education or have coached on the tennis court and football field.  Nothing pleases me more than to see the young men and women who I have had the opportunity to work with go on to reach the goals they have set for themselves.  I may have made a slight impact on them, but they continue to make an immeasurable impact on my life.

Inspirational Post #1 - Joey P.

In the fall of 2004 I was beginning my 4th season as a JV football coach at Garner Magnet High School.  Practices had began as usual with many eager young men showing up with the hopes and dreams of wearing the Blue and Gold of the Trojan uniform.  The sun was hot and the practices were challenging, but these young men pushed themselves through each and every drill we threw at them.  Of course, as the days wore on, several of the boys realized that the rigors and expectations of the life of a football player at a very competitive 4A high school just was not for them and so attrition naturally happened.  We were not surprised by the few young men we lost, but we were impressed by those who stuck it out and made it through the entire week of "training camp" and were hanging on as the final cut-down day approached.  By far the most difficult aspect of being a high school coach occurs on those occasions when you have to make decisions about which athletes you will keep and which you will unfortunately have to let go.  When you have over 100 kids trying out for a team that can suit up a little over 70 players, decisions have to be made.  During my time coaching, I was honored and privileged to work under some of the most intelligent and caring coaches I know.  Each of them took a very serious and personal interest in the young men who worked so hard during those early practices and I can personally attest that on the day when cuts had to be made, it was something that they neither looked forward to nor took lightly. 

On this particular cut day, I had been discussing several of the players that were on the "bubble" with our Head JV Coach.  We were in agreement for the most part about the guys that would not be returning for the start of regular practice and were in the midst of finalizing the list when I noticed one name in particular that I was a little surprised to see on the list of potential cuts.  At the time I was coaching Linebackers and working with the special teams unit, specifically the kickers, punters and long snappers.  I had played center and long snapper in high school and so I used the knowledge I had to work with the guys who had potential to develop before they reached Varsity.  Joey ended up working with my Linebackers group during defensive drills and this young man was by no means a "blue chipper", but he was a kid who had shown up early to practice and stayed late each day asking questions and wanting to know what he needed to do to be better.  He never quit during the drills and willed himself to never finish last in any of the running or conditioning.  He was not a big kid and he needed a lot of work in the weight room to get his body to match his spirit, but what a spirit.  I had never met a kid who so desperately wanted to be a Trojan football player.  He wasn't the fastest or the most talented, but he had a heart the size of the stadium.  He took beating after beating and still kept coming.  He was an intelligent kid and learned quickly what he needed to do to make himself better.  He was respectful, attentive and humble...I liked him from the very beginning.  After practice one day, I was talking with some of the kids and Joey approached me with more questions about what he could do to improve.  Now in all honesty, as a linebacker, he was not going to make the cut, however I didn't want to say this to him, so I gave him some more advice.  He then asked me if at the next practice he could come and work with the punt snappers during special teams practice.  I inquired whether or not he had snapped before and he said that he had.  I told him sure and went away not expecting a whole lot.  The next day at practice when we broke into special teams groups, Joey came over and prepared to snap the ball.  His initial attempt did not go so well.  He bounced the ball short of the punter.  I wasn't impressed and almost sent him away, but he asked for a second chance.  I said OK and made a couple of suggestions about his technique.  His second attempt was vastly improved and each additional attempt got better and better,  There was something about the way he listened and put the suggestions into practice that I found intriguing.  The more he snapped the better he got.  I was very pleased.  We had one returning snapper from the previous year, but it never hurts to have two!  We continued to work on snapping during and after practice.  He was truly a machine.  He wanted to snap over and over until he got it just right.  He began running some of the drills in practice and was doing a great job, so on that day I looked at the cuts list, I was truly surprised to see him on it. I approached the head coach and asked him about the decision and he said he felt that Joey just wasn't ready to play for the team as a linebacker and that it had been a tough decision.  I respectfully asked him to reconsider based on the fact that Joey was really doing a great job long snapping.  I told him it wouldn't hurt to have an extra snapper on the roster in case of injury.  I guess my request was convincing enough that the coach decided to let Joey stay on the roster.  He even told him to thank me for pleading his case....trust me, I did not need the thanks...the boy had earned his spot in my opinion and I was glad to see him make the cut.  As the season wore on Joey worked tirelessly as a member of the scout defensive team helping prepare the staring offensive players for each game.  He also continued to improve as a linebacker and when given the opportunities he would do a good job in the game.  My favorite memory of that season came in the fourth quarter of a game we were winning late in the season.  I had put some of my subs in to close out the game and for fun, I called an inside blitz for Joey who was playing strong side linebacker.  It was fun to give the kids who worked so hard each week the opportunity to make plays when they got the chance in the games.  Boy did Joey make the most of his opportunity.  As the center hiked the ball, Joey burst through the line of scrimmage and attacked the opposing quarterback with a ferocity I had not seen in him at all that year.  He made a textbook move to shiver past the linemen and took the quarterback to the ground with force and determination.  I had never been more excited or proud of a player.  Here was a kid who was on the cusp of being cut and he had just made the most exciting play in football...a quarterback sack.  I think I jumped 10 feet in the air and literally picked him up when he came to the sidelines.  It was a great moment!

That season ended and Joey ended up playing tennis for me later in the year and he gave just as much effort on the tennis court as he had on the football field.  When the next season rolled around, there was no doubt that Joey was going to make the team...and he did as a starting offensive linemen.  I missed having him around during linebacker practice, but still got the opportunity to work with him as the starting long snapper for our special teams.  Joey went on to have a very successful career as an offensive lineman for the Varsity Football team and I actually left coaching football to take on the coaching responsibilities of our school's women's tennis program.  Joey did come back to play tennis for me during his senior year and when he graduated from high school he went on to pursue his academic career at NC State University.  We have remained close over the years and it was with great pride and excitement that I received some pretty incredible news concerning Joey.  You see, even though Joey graduated high school and went off to college, he never got rid of that desire to play football.  He had made the dream of playing for the Garner Trojans become a reality through his hard work and dedication and as he spent the first few years of his college life focused on his academics, he continued to stoke that fire to make another one of his lifelong dreams come true.  Joey continued practicing and developing his long snapping abilities and pushed himself to become truly the best he could be and then he took that hard work and dedication and put it to good use.  As the preparations for the 2011-12 NC State football season began, Joey took his big heart and limitless passion with him as he attended walk-on tryouts for the Wolfpack's long-snapper position.  He put that same focus and dedication into his tryouts just like I had seen him do so many days on that practice field during his Freshman year at GMHS.  As Joey was trying out for the NCSU football team, I was continuing to teach and coach tennis at GMHS alongside Joey's mother who is an amazing teacher in our theater arts department.  One day as I was working at school, Ms. P paid me a visit in my classroom to share some amazing news.  She looked me in the eyes and with much pride informed me that that little Freshman football player that I once stood up for and kept from being cut had just made the NCSU football team as a walk-on long snapper.  Tears filled my eyes and joy and pride filled my heart as I gave my friend a great big hug.  What an achievement.  Joey took a dream he had and did not settle until he reached his goal.  I was so excited as earlier in the year I went with my two little girls to the NCSU player meet and greet.  I walked around the stadium and waited in line to see the kid I knew so well.  I cried as I hugged him and told him how proud I was of his accomplishment and then got him to sign my hat and took several pictures together before he had to return to his responsibilities. 

Joey is such an inspiration to me.  His hard work and dedication led him to reach his dream.  His commitment over the years and his desire to succeed opened doors for him and he took advantage of his opportunity.  What a wonderful role model.  It appears that I am now the student and Joey is the teacher.  Congratulations Joey....and thanks for the inspiration.