The Senior Letter

Once the season had concluded, a coach has a number of tasks to finish putting that particular season to rest. You have inventory to take. You need to count uniforms and see how many basketballs you may need to order

for next season. You may also schedule meeting for those players who are returning next season. You also may need to fulfill certain responsibilities that are required of you at the Team Banquet. You also may have emails to send thanking those who have contributed to the season. Check your budget. Fill out orders. The list can go on and on.

One of the tasks I performed, usually in late April or early May, was the writing a letter to each of the graduating seniors. I included in the envelop several items. A small monetary gift, the poem "IF" and a personal letter. This became a tradition. Year after year after year. You never know for sure if the letters are meaningful or not but you have such a bond with those players you feel a strong desire to have some form of closure with them. The

simple truth is many of them you may never see again.

During my final year of coaching, something unusual happened. One of the letters I wrote was never read by the recipient. Retiring for me was very difficult even thought I knew I no longer had the energy or stamina to continue to put into a program that was so important to me. The last set of senior letters was for me the last "official" act of a retiring coach.

"Big deal. Let's see what he can do off the dribble!"

In an act of timing that I believe was not a coincidence, the unread letter arrived at its destination on the same day the recipient took his life. As a result that letter ended up becoming quite public. My guess is most of the

senior letters I wrote were read by the senior player and possible a few family members. This was not the case with this letter. I was asked by a grieving mother to read the letter I had writing during the funeral service. Now even though I was a classroom teacher and coach for many years, I never was very comfortable speaking in public but I understood it was part of the calling so I agreed to participate in the funeral.

I believe in God and thankfully He believes in me. I believe he helped me write the last letter. Unfortunately, the young man in question never had the opportunity to read it. Part of the focus of the letter was on transitions.

Transition from offense to defense or from defense to offense is an important aspect of the game. I tried in the letter to expand the term transition to his life and mine. He was soon to be off to a Division 1 University to play college football. Obviously the transition from being at home and going off to college is a significant transition in a person's life. I was also entering a significant transition. I was leaving a position and a passion that I had been entrusted with for well over 25 years.

Players that are Seniors are not only graduating from high school and moving on in their lives but they are also graduating from your program.

This is an emotional time for them and for you. Hopefully, they (your players) have given you their best and you have done the same for them.

Your chance to impact their life has mostly passed. The nagging question I often asked was did I do my job? I always felt our program had done a reasonably good job at teaching the game but did we do our best to get these young people ready for their next transition.