Coach

Coaches can have an extremely positive impact on us. Personal and executive coaching has become a massive industry in many countries around the world. I could name a dozen friends who support their families by coaching leaders.

During my youth, athletic coaches have had a huge influence on my life. I played a lot of baseball growing up, and I also ran track and played some tennis. I have fond memories of most of my coaches.

I did not play any college sports, but two semesters of physical education were required. One particular PE instructor was a lineman coach for the college football team. He was a gruff son of a gun, and I disliked him because it seemed that he did not like anyone unless they played a college sport, and if you played a college sport, physical education courses were not mandatory. Therefore, this coach seemed to not like any of us!

Later in life when I returned to my alma mater, Mississippi College, to work as an administrator and teacher, our family were members of the same church as this gruffy coach. This coach was a greeter at church, and he covered the door where our family entered each week. As I watched the way he greeted our daughters, I was amazed at this tenderhearted man and how he could make Amanda and Allison feel like princesses arriving at their castle. The girls always wanted to go in the coach’s door so they could see him. It was amazing to me how sweet and gentle this gruffy old coach could be. During that time, he became my favorite coach.

But I now have a new favorite coach named Bill Thornton. For months Coach Bill talked to me about playing pickleball. I had never heard of it at that time, so I politely listened because this man is a legend in our community. Everyone in our church calls him “Coach” as he coached many of our members at our local high school. The recreational center in our area is named after him. Before he helped introduce pickleball in our area, he was already a legendary tennis player and promoter. Largely due to a small group of people including Bill Thornton, today Rome, Georgia has the largest hard-court facility in the nation with 57 courts including 3 stadium-style courts and 6 indoor courts.

Coach Bill is a persistent man, but I did not accept his invitation to play pickleball until April 2023. The first day I showed up I was a bit nervous, but Coach Bill came alongside me and gave me valuable tips and encouragement. Over the past 10 months he has become my all-time favorite coach. In a gentle, yet direct and assuring way, he has made me a passionate pickleball player. Our group plays at our church gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning on a schedule that is conducive to the Coach taking care of his ailing wife.

Coach Bill has recently been diagnosed with a serious life-threatening health challenge. Instead of sitting in his recliner and bemoaning the end of his earthly life, he continues to play pickleball every week, and he has been talking to our pickleball group about giving pickleball lessons to some church members.

In a phone call this week, he said to me:

“Churches do a good job of teaching spiritual and mental aspects to its members, but they do a poor job of teaching the importance of developing physically and taking care of our bodies. Each life is a miracle of God. We need to help with this situation, and teaching pickleball is how we can do that. If children learn to play pickleball, they can play it for the rest of their lives.”

To the best of my ability, I am going to work with my pickleball colleagues to help Coach make this dream come true.

We will celebrate Coach Bill’s 90th birthday tomorrow! When I grow up, I want to be like Coach Bill Thornton.