Influences

          It was seven years ago this morning that I found my father, apparently moments after the Lord had taken him home.  It was an experience that I will never forget yet one that the Lord had prepared me for.  And in the weeks ahead, as the Executor of his estate, I learned so many things I hadn't known about the life he had lived.
          Now I knew there were many things that my father and I had in common.   We had both taught math in high school and college.  We both graduated from Susquehanna University.  We both earned our Masters Degrees. We both served on CMBC Boards and on Berean Bible School/Pinebrook Jr. College Boards and on Elder Boards.  We both served as Financial Secretary and Sunday School Superintendent of our church. 
          But there were a number of things that we had in common that I didn't really know completely when he was alive.  For example, I didn't know that he also used to write for newspapers when he was younger.  In fact we both had at one time been employed by the Sunbury Daily Item.  Now my writing for newspapers lasted many more years, probably about 35, but it was something that we had in common.
          Dad also was a pioneer in that he was the first person in our denomination who was allowed to play football in college.  His stepfather pastor allowed him to do this despite the fact that such a thing was frowned upon in those days.  Now I never played college football, but I also was involved with the Susquehanna football program by traveling with them for four years as official statistician.  So being involved with SU football was also something we had in common.
          I also found out that Dad was a high school coach, coaching both track and football.  Now my brother, Terry, was a high school football and wrestling coach so the three of us had that in common.  I don't know if Dad did any coaching before he began teaching, but I doubt that he did.  Not only weren't there many little league programs in those years, but if there were any they were probably interrupted by World War II.
          I actually began coaching little league baseball when I was in high school when I helped coach the Lititz Teener team.  My brother played on that team and thanks to a great bunch of talented athletes we won the league championship. While in college I helped my uncle, Theoren Gaugler, coach the Mosquitoes, a much younger group of boys.  Our big challenge here was trying to keep the attention of the boys in the outfield when things like puddles and dandelions caught their attention.  But it was a fun experience.
          When I began to teach I helped coach the junior high track team and that was an experience as well.  We would have about 100 junior high boys with just two coaches.  Later I moved up to the senior high where I worked with the jumping and throwing events.  I had no personal experience with these events and did quite a bit of reading to prepare.  After a few years of coaching track I changed to timing the running events at meets which I did probably for about 20 years.
          Basketball was another coaching challenge for me.  At least I had some experience here since I was involved as statistician and manager for Susquehanna's team for four years and I absorbed much watching practices and games.  My coaching was with the seventh and eighth graders and was a very special experience.  One year our team was undefeated and featured Wally Walker who later went on to play professional ball and play on two NBA championship teams.  He ended his career by serving as general manager of the Seattle Supersonics.  That was probably the highlight of my unremarkable coaching career.
         Oh yes, there was one more coaching experience to mention.  I was traveling with the junior high basketball team as score keeper when I learned that the cheerleaders were going to be disbanded because they no longer had a coach.  For some crazy reason I volunteered to coach them the remainder of the year so that they could continue.  It wasn't too difficult for the games, but at the end of the season there was a competition, and we were entered.  The girls worked hard and did an excellent job.  I thought that they had won.  But, I think that they were hurt by the female judges who wouldn't accept that a male was involved in this traditional female activity.  Intolerance can work both ways.
          So I have many good memories of coaching experiences and I am sure that my dad's experiences somehow paved the way for me to do the same.  I only wish that I could listen to him share about these experiences.  I do remember how, since he didn't own a car, he had to walk to practices and take busses and even trains as he went to scout other teams.  I also remember going with him to basketball games when he ran the clock for those games.  And that is something else that we had in common and maybe I'll talk more about that in a future blog.  But certainly his experiences probably helped my brother and I get involved in similar ways.