A Little Encouragement Makes A Big Difference

Some of the most influential people in our lives are schoolteachers and coaches.  I had, and I hope you did, some of the best.  I don’t remember my first grade teacher at South Beloit Elementary in Illinois, but I did not like her.  I disliked her so much that I ran away from school as often as I could get away with it.

In March of the first grade, we moved back to Alabama and my Dixie first grade teacher was the splitting image of the Yankee version, so I continued to run away from school.  I do not know how I advanced to the second grade, but thank God, I got Mrs. Nellie Glasscock.  My cousins recommended her, and I remember reading about Dick, Jane, and Spot running, but not away from school.

As luck would have it, third grade was like first grade in many ways.  The third-grade class had too many students and I was one of the “chosen ones” placed in the extra class with the substitute teacher who must have been a sister to my first-grade teachers.  Gee whiz, was there three of them?

By the third grade, dad and momma had broken me of my running away.  One can only be sick so much and good hiding places are hard to find.  I suffered with Mrs. Oaks until the Christmas break.  I don’t remember what I got for Christmas that year at home, but when school started back, Santa had left this beautiful young teacher in our upstairs classroom.

Mrs. Avis Harthen was so wonderful.  I went from U’s and S’s to E’s and G’s.  Mrs. Harthen would hug me and tell me how proud she was of me.  Years later when I was Beta Club president, Ms. Harthen, who had gone to bigger and higher things, spoke at our annual banquet.  I remember her telling the audience how proud she was of me and how I was her favorite third grade student.

I had real good teachers after Mrs. Harthen.  When you get the reputation that you are a good student, teachers treat you different.

Another person of influence was Coach Lamar Cost.  He and I did not hit it off so well in the beginning.  He was new to the school and had a reputation as being a hard-nosed coach.  He had coached some boys that later played at the University of Alabama.  I will say that he was a very good defensive coach.

I remember my first meeting with Coach Lamar.  Mom did not want me playing football so I had to run away from home, you might say, to play football.  When I did not show up on the school bus, mom knew I had stayed to practice football.  Every day was the same scenario.  The coaches fussed and cussed me at practice and mom fussed and cussed me for practicing.  Did I ever tell you that I loved playing football?

On the first day of practice, I had to dig through piles of discarded football equipment to round up enough stuff for practice.  I had a ragged jersey, and I could not find a set of matching pads.  My helmet was way too big.  The older and veteran players got all the good stuff and the “hamburger squad” got the culls.  In my quest I did get a pair of blue pants, like the veterans, only they were in bad shape, no body wanted them.

I wished you could have seen me when I got to the practice field.  I looked awful and of course just like all football rookies, I had my thigh pads in backwards.

Coach Lamar grabbed me by the facemask and asked me where I got the blue pants.  I wanted to be a big man and thought I would get a little smart with him.  I said, “I stole them.”  Not a good start!

Coach was tough.  One time in practice, I injured my left thigh.  I pinched the nerve.  I was dragging my left leg.  In scrimmage, our halfback run over me, which was unusual.  I thought I would cry.  Did I tell you I love to play football, but I hated practice?

Coach Lamar screamed at me and screamed run it again.  Once again, the halfback ran over me.  This time I felt someone straddle my back and grab my facemask pulling my head around off the dusty ground and telling me, “If I could not do any better than that to go to the house.”  So, I got up and started the long journey home.  Did I say that I loved football enough to walk six miles most every day?  Coach asked, “Where you going?”  I said, “To the house.”

After I showered and started home, Coach Lamar the concerned daddy asked, “What’s wrong?”  I said, “Coach, I pulled something in warm-ups, and it hurts.  I can barely walk”

I played for Coach Lamar for four years and we developed a friendship that existed till his death.  He taught me how to play defense, good enough to get college offers.  One practice during my sophomore year he told the team that I was the most improved player and that I had improved one thousand percent.

Mrs. Harthen and Coach Lamar taught me more than studies and football.  They helped me learn about life.  Thanks Mrs. Harthen and Coach Lamar!

 

When I think of great teachers, Jesus is the greatest:  Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him (John 3:2b KJV)