It’s been quite a week and it’s hard to put thoughts together. We lost a legend on April 12th. Maybe you’ve never heard of Frosty Westering, but he is an American hero. For me personally, if there’s a transformational coaching family tree, Frosty is my great-grandfather. He provided Coaches everywhere with an example of a man who won championships without being caught up in winning championships. For Frosty, winning really was the by-product of his success, rather than its defining characteristic. In an article by Chuck Culpepper, linked here, we get a glimpse of Frosty’s greatness as a Coach and as a man. And we see that his greatness had almost nothing to do with the wins and national titles. A couple excerpts from Mr. Culpepper’s tribute:
Did you know one of the most remarkable American coaches died on Friday? Did you know that Frosty Westering, who had 32 seasons at Pacific Lutheran without a losing record in any, who never mentioned playoffs or titles to his players but won four national championships and four runner-up finishes on two levels, died at 85 surrounded by his considerable family? Please know. Please, please know.
He sometimes halted practice to have players spend five minutes gazing beyond the giant evergreens to Mount Rainier. He sometimes halted practice to have players go to other sporting fields and cheer on, say, the soccer team. He always halted two-a-day practices in August and instructed players to go help freshmen move into dormitories.
Please read the article linked above. It will encourage and inspire you. It could likely make you a better Coach. It could change your life and the lives of your players. At the very least it will put a smile on your face as you wonder, “Did that really happen? Did a college football team really sing the 12 Days of Christmas together on the sidelines moments before kickoff of a national championship game that they won by 29 points?”
Obviously the events this week in Boston have overshadowed everything else in the news, and understandably so. Watching the tragedy unfold, followed by the investigation and manhunt (underway as I write this on Friday morning), we know how wrong and evil all this is. We also see evidence of the power of sports. The Marathon provided a venue for over 27,000 athletes to compete and live out a dream. The Marathon also provided a stage for unspeakable tragedy, and in the wake of tragic events we often hear people talk about how this puts things into perspective. We are reminded yet again that no matter how high the stakes might be athletically, these games and events are just that, games. The real power of sports lies in its ability to strengthen people, teams and communities. The pursuit of excellence and victory is part of that journey to be sure, and yet in many ways, the pursuit of those victories is more significant than the victories themselves. I absolutely believe that. Frosty Westering believed that. And for the many thousands of people with a connection to the Boston Marathon and its bombing, they have no choice to believe that as well.
A couple weeks back, I heard about a comment made by a University of Kansas basketball fan after their stomach-punch of a defeat in the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. He was honest when he admitted, “This really hurts. I am disappointed. And yet, if a basketball game can make me feel this way, how great is my life?” In the midst of his disappointment, this guy felt a surge of gratitude as he realized how blessed he is. I thought that was one of the most honest and intelligent things I’ve heard in a long time. And although I’ve bounced around in this post from Frosty to Boston to Kansas basketball, hopefully there’s something here that can make us all more honest and intelligent as well. Make this a great week.