Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Tribute to Coach



For many athletes, the love and passion for a sport is something that grows through the years. It is fostered by a multitude of experiences and by the many wonderful people we meet and connect with along the way. This is largely true for me.

However, there is one person I can credit with instilling most of my passion and identity as a runner. That person is my college XC and Track coach, Coach Goldhammer, or, as we all call him, Coach.

I had six years of competitive running before college, but the 4 years with Coach are the ones I remember. It's hard for me to believe that it was only 4 years; it was a snippet of time with such an impact on my life. The passionate support of a huge number of alumni shows that I am absolutely not alone in feeling this way.

Recently, a group of alumni put together a tribute video for Coach. Although it may not be of interest to many who read this blog, I simply can't help sharing it. I want to share how awesome my Coach is and how many lives he's touched. To me this video is an inspiration itself because it shows me how much impact an adult can have in the lives of the young people with whom we work. It makes me want to be like Coach.






(Yes, I am in this video, but you won't see me until the second half.)


2 comments:

  1. Great video! I wish I had known this was being done, would have love to have contributed. Coach is much-loved! He truly cares for his athletes and works hard to get the best out of them. That love doesn't end on graduation day, I still enjoy getting birthday cards and well-wishes from him. Running XC and track under him were some of the best (and craziest!!) times in college. He certainly instilled a work/training ethic that I'm grateful for. I chuckled at your comment about the van rides. So many memories of our team squished in there, on each other laps, sweaty, holding on for dear life as Coach screamed down Mills back to campus! And to this day, I've yet to meet another grown man who wear as much yellow as he does. :)

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    1. Nicole! I'm so glad you got to watch it, but bummed you didn't know earlier so you could contribute. I think the biggest testament to what a great coach he is, is how much his athletes love him, and still do.

      Hey, I see you're running Cool this year. Awesome! I'm on the fence as to whether I'm actually going to run it, but if I don't, I'll be working the aid station at Hwy 49, so I'll look for you. Hope you have fun - it's a wonderful race!

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