Forever Strong

Today I received notification that the most winning High School Rugby Coach ever has decided to serve a three-year mission for his church.  This is very typical of Larry Gelwix.  In fact, most of you have probably heard of Larry through the very popular movie, "Forever Strong."

Larry coached the Highland Rugby Team to 19 National Championships, with a career record of 404 wins and 10 loses.  This spanned 1976 until 2010.  They also represented the USA in the World Schools Rugby Championship in Zimbabwe, Africa, bringing home a bronze medal third-place finish.

Larry is known as a very demanding coach.  He requires all of his players to sign a non-negotiable honor code that includes avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, among other things.  He formulated what he calls the 5 Championship Strategies for Sustainable Success.  Here are three of the five.

Choose What Team You Are Going to Play For.  We can not have divided loyalty.  You don't normally help the other team win.  Pick what jersey you are going to wear and be dang proud to wear it!  My daughter plays competitive soccer and this is a resounding theme from the coach and club.

Don't Play With Snakes.  Sooner of later we will get bit if we play with snakes.  There is right and wrong in this world, and our conscience will tell us when we need to know.  We all know what snakes are and to avoid them.  Don't think for a second that you won't get bit.

Don't Go Thirsty.  In life we need water.  Without it we will die.  Especially in sports we need water.  My son has participated in karate for quite a while.  This past week his karate studio is moving to a bigger building.  They moved the drinking fountain to the new building, while still using the old building for class.  I told myself that I needed to send a water bottle with my son this week, but I forgot.  When I met him at the studio after work, he and his classmates were drinking water from the bathroom sink!  Boy did I feel bad.  We also need living water in our lives.  If you are religious, the Bible can provide this for you.  If not, a good solid role model can do it.

I wish I could find the other two, but no luck.  Larry also uses other principles in his coaching, such as staying away from things you know are wrong, attitude and effort, W.I.N. what's important now, which encourages his players to make decisions that support what they want in the future, and to focus on the final score of life.  He also encourages his players to be true to the beliefs of their own individual faith.

Larry is known for personal quotes that he uses both to coach and when he speaks to youth groups.  Some of these quotes are as follows:

• "Good decisions don't make life easy, but they do make it easier."
• "The true test of a man is what he will do when no one will know."
• "The essence of a lie is not the words you choose, but the message you convey."
• "If you lose your integrity, you've lost everything."
• "I want you to be forever strong on the field, so that you will be forever strong off the field."
• "I don't build championship teams, I build championship boys."
• "Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent."

My daughter has a coach that is very much like Larry.  She is set on developing girls for life, not just for the game.  Her interactions with both the girls and their parents are built on solid morals.

Good coaches typically are the prodigy of other good coaches.  My daughter's soccer coach played college soccer for a coach who is still coaching college level soccer.  She has nothing but praise for that coach.  My daughter has nothing but praise for her coach.  Gosh!  if we could all be good coaches the world would be a much better place.  Suffice it to say, it is a good thing to have a good coach in your life.  Whether sports or other, it makes no difference.

Till next time,
Bill