A Letter I Once Sent ...

The following letter is an actual letter, edited to eliminate information that would give too much detail to the situation. As a former athletic director and varsity coach, I realize that prep sports is a tough business with too few thanks. I sent this letter back in 2002, or so. The letter is accurate. The coach really did help to make things matter and put the onus on the coach to run a program.

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I don’t know if you followed the season this year, but the boys had a pretty solid year. They ultimately lost in the regional tournament. It was an exciting year. It was a year that would not have been possible if you had never been the men’s coach.

In the year you spent at here, you provided us with some great services. You helped show other coaches that a program was the coach’s responsibility and he/she could employ whomever on his/her team. No longer did we embrace the idea that “just because I want to play, I play.” You needed to earn your spot and tow the line – if you didn’t you weren’t going to stick around. You helped the school begin to believe in itself. I thank you for that.

I wish you all the luck in the world and sincerely want to thank you for your contribution to our school district. I have thought of writing or calling in the past, but have not done so. At this point, I decided that a letter of thanks was in order. No one probably thanked you for the year you spent here.

I hope all is well. Please feel free to Email or call me.