Oly Power

A few days ago I received a phone call from a guy I know who works at the High School that all my kids graduated from. He was calling to ask if I would be willing to come to their Senior Awards assembly and give out a scholarship that the Athletic Booster Club sponsers in memory of Tim. Now I was aware that they gave out this scholarship because the year Mitch graduated, (the June after Tim's death), I had presented it. What I was not aware of, was that they have kept it going every year since.

I was heartened and touched that people other than our family are taking steps to keep alive his memory. I said yes, I would be honored to come, however as I said it I was kicking myself. I had been going through my files about 3 months ago, ran across the talk I gave 5 years ago, and thought, wow, remember this? Too bad I don't need it anymore... and I chucked it. So much for being inspired.

My kids have asked about what I said yesterday, to the entire school, and the parents of the graduating seniors. The stadium was full. So kids, here you go: the community was refreshed about your dad with this.... (I've deleted a couple of insignificant things..)

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ps. I want you to remember these things too

"Tim grew up in 35 miles NW of here, graduated from Law School, and was a trial attorney here in town until he lost a fight with cancer in November 2003. He and I raised 4 kids, who all graduated from here. Tim was athletic his entire life, and played from his childhood to just a few months before he died. The chemotherapy left him with residual numbness in his feet, but he still managed to move them on the tennis court with his friends. Athletics gives you the kind of friends who will invite you to play even it your feet might move a little slower because you are sick.

Tim not only played himself, but coached each of our kids as they grew up. I think he coached various teams for 13 years running. Along with the coaching, he supervised the Sky-ball Organization for several years, training other coaches, and covering our dining room table with schedules and brackets.

Tim was a rabid Oly fan. When our son was playing football, we would have the offensive line over for breakfast on game day. At 6:00 in the morning on that day, I would walk into the kitchen and discover that Tim had written on the orange placemats “Beat the Dirty Rotten Saxons” to get the boys pumped. When the team went to the state tournament, I would look around and there was Tim with all the other moms painting signs on someone’s garage floor. He was a member of the Athletic Booster Club for 10 years. At any athletic event, there was Tim, wearing orange garb that border-lined on the embarrassing.

I asked one of my sons how many kids that Tim had coached had gone on to play professional sports. The number was 2. I then asked how many had graduated from a 4 year university. We figured around 90 %. You can decide what you want about that, but I think that Tim knew how athletics teaches kids skills they use far beyond the court or field. He wanted his kids to have that, so he made it happen, enjoying life along the way.

I thought about what Tim would want to tell the student that is receiving the Athletic Booster Scholarship that bears his name. It came right to me, and this is it: Take these funds, and use them to help you learn every thing you wish. And when you have achieved your academic goals, take what you’ve learned, couple it with your standards and beliefs, and use that to build a better family. A happy family is what drove Tim to do anything he did. I hope that it drives you as well."

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5 bucks to the person who can identify who had a Nyquil Hangover

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PS. She got 1,000 bucks. Go O's.