This past week my junior high basketball coach, Allen Osborne celebrated a birthday and it had me thinking about the impact he has made on my life. It's not uncommon for me to think about him in this way and I never hesitate to tell anyone he has had a tremendous role in the way I've coached but more importantly in the man I've become. I say this because I think it is important -- incredibly important -- for those that coach on that level to know the tremendous effect they make on young people. I'm proud to be a college coach but junior high school and high school coaches are the first ones to shape young people and I was blessed to have Allen Osborne come along in my life when he did.
Actually the first junior high coach that inspired me was my uncle, Joe Hartney who was an outstanding coach, especially in the sport of football. My grandfather would take me to his games and an occasional practice and I would watch with an admiring eye the way he coached and taught his teams. It was the first time I thought I'd like to be a coach.
The first organized basketball team I played for was Winfield Junior High School in West Virginia. I was in the eighth grade and I remember our first ever practice. It was scheduled for 9:00 AM on a Saturday. We got there early, got dressed but hung out in the locker room talking, until a few minutes before practice before heading up to the court. Allen then explained we were late for practice. When he said 9:00, that translates to 8:45. It was my first introduction to "Lombardi time." We ran a suicide for each minute we were late. To this day, I am incredibly paranoid about being late. Before Allen taught me how to dribble, pass and shoot, he taught me a life lesson that remains with me to this day.
There were other lessons of course. He preached hard work, commitment and team play. His biggest lesson to me however, came in the form of the example he set. I watched everything he did -- not just on the practice floor but in and around the school. The way he carried himself. The way he communicated. The way he acted at all times.
And then there was they way he conducted a practice. He was always prepared -- down to the smallest detail. He was demanding in our exeuction....passionate about our effort.
Not all things were perfect -- life never is -- another life lesson learned. We were disciplined when we deserved to be and motivated when we needed it. He taught us about sacrifice and work ethic -- two things I hold dearly today. But there were also talks about things other than basketball -- about school and life. In the summer I rode my bike 8 miles to the school for summer open gym. One day with it raining I went out to grab my bike and make the wet journey home. Allen saw me, grabbed my bike and threw it in the back of his truck and drove me home. The gesture overwhelmed at the time and our talk during that short drive was memorable as well. I am sure he won't remember it because he is the kind of coach that has done that hundreds of times in his career.
I heard someone in a recent clinic talk about the fact that if you take the time to listen to athletes when they are elected to the Hall of Fame, no matter what sport, they always take time to mention one or more coaches that had a profound bearing on their success. While I'm not destined to be in the Hall of Fame, I knew immediately what the clinic speaker meant.
Another lesson I learned from Allen is that the absolute best coaches don't coach you for a few years -- they coach you for the rest of your life! Allen continues to this day to "teach" me. The majority of basketball I learned, I learned from him -- either playing for him, working for him (which I did for one great season at Poca High School), or the thousands of times we've spent together. He took me to clinics -- the best -- and quizzed me on what I had learned -- pointing out things that I needed to pay attention to while observing. His wife Robyn probably wanted to claim me as a dependent considering the amount of time I spent at their house. Allen is in my very small circle of influence. When I have a major decision, he is on the short call list of people who I simply must ask for advice.
With my move to the south and tenures at LSU, UCF and Texas A&M, much of my communication with Allen is via telephone, text and email -- though when I can find time to head back to West Virginia, it is mandatory that we meet at Bob Evans for a basketball discussion.
How great an impact? When at the age of 31 I proposed to my wife and she accepted, the first stop I made after telling my parents was the Osborne home. It was important to me that I had his blessing and that he would stand with me at the alter on my wedding day which he did.
It's amazing when you think about it. In 1972 I was in the 8th grade and gave little thought to what I wanted to do. My first contact with Allen and I was running suicides for being late. I've since been blessed with some great coaching opportunities. Allen is one of the winningest high school coaches in the state of West Virginia. By the way, that's me holding the green and white basketball on the left in the photo. Allen is standing on left and another good coach with the Allen Osborne influence, Jim Boone is standing direclty beside Allen as well. At least two others in that photo, Fred Wright and Jim Tribble also went on to coach.
That fall in 1972 changed my life. If you are a coach, please know that you have more impact on a young life than you can imagine. You don't always completely know what they are going through at home or in school but you are someone they look up to for guidance and leadership.
If I had one wish, it would be that every young student-athlete could have the same experience at a young age like the one I had.
One that started in 1972 and continues to impact me now -- 2012.
Thanks to all those youth level coaches that make that type of impact -- and thank you Allen!
