The kids I coached in football and track shortened up my last name to the first syllable, “Wohls,” and added the “i.” When I first heard them using that, I was a little irate. I used to think respect made everything happen. You can’t call me a pet name like “Wohlsi” and respect me.
I was wrong.
They were paying me the highest respect. It was a token of familiarity, but it was their own, one which they all liked to use. And every time they used it, they were telling me how much they loved me.
As a coach, you don’t understand that for a while. You think that kind of affection destroys your authority. But you’re wrong.
So I - being ignorant about all that and helpless about what I should do - I let it happen, just like I’d always allowed my daughters to think whatever they wanted to think of me as they grew up. And today, I’m as proud as a dad can be of his daughters.
Cory saw me in the bar last night. I saw him, pointed at him, and smiled. And he came over and hugged me. “Coach!” he said. “God, it’s good to see you!”
I think he said “Wohlsi” once or twice too. But that doesn’t matter. He proceeded to tell me of all the work he had done in New York, relating to the energy field and development of computer applications to suit the needs of various companies. And now he’s back in town performing the lead role in application development at a major energy company here.
He was my offensive guard and an excellent shot-putter. He was also my student in English. I’m very proud of Cory.
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