Writing letters
I was very fortunate to have competed for Coach Miller at Cal Poly. He was the first coach I ever had that actually was able to motivate me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. He taught me, and the rest of us, to believe in ourselves. When I went into coaching, Coach was my role model and I tried to emulate his style. (I even called some of my athletes "Buds")
His influence channeled through me into my athletes. Whether they were NCAA Div ll champions or Conference also-rans who set a PR that day, it didn't matter. The goal we always set was to improve and be the best we could be at the biggest meets of the year. I wanted them to believe in themselves. All that came from Coach. It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. This was certainly true for many of us who went into coaching. We didn't want it to end. We wanted to give to others as Coach had given to us. And so, his legacy endures.
Lastly, as fellow cancer survivors, we tried to offer encouragement and support in letters. I still have the last letter I received in the mail from Coach, a few years ago when he was battling for his life. The last line in says, "It's been a bit of a rough time recently. However, I don't know how to lose. Never learned that lesson! I appreciate your comments about my impact. However, I learned as much, if not more from you and our team. You guys were great teachers.
All my heartfelt best, Coach."
That, I believe, was his greatest gift, to make others feel important.
We will miss you Coach. And thank you for everything!
Well said my teammate and “bud.” I think that those of us that went into coaching feel the same way…I know I do. He left an impressive coaching tree legacy.