When you get to be my age you are reminded of the journey you have made on a daily basis. And, a big part of it is the people you’ve met along the way. When I stop to look at that, it is clear to me that I have experienced knowing so many great ones. Here’s a few that aren’t necessarily famous (although some are). They are the ones who added something special to my experience of life.

1946: BILL SHARMAN

He played for my Uncle Arlen’s fast-pitch softball team before enrolling at USC in the Fall. Bill was always my model for what I wanted to be as an athlete … multi-sport in high school and college. Bill was not only was my idol, but became my friend.

1946: THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

I saw them play and basketball became my favorite ever after. Also, it was my first brush with racism. Goose Tatum, Ermer Robinson, Sweetwater Clifton, Marquis Haynes, et. al, were a joy to watch. Down the road, Ermer was my coach in the ABL.

1948: BOB MATHIAS

He was a Tulare, CA boy just down the road from my high school, Strathmore Union. I saw him compete many times his senior year and followed his progress to London and an Olympic gold medal in the Decathlon. He repeated again in 1952. He was a great athlete and human being.

1950: FRESNO EDISON HIGH BASKETBALL TEAM

Much, much, fun. They were considered a “colored” team with three starters of that persuasion. Hardy Gideon, Tim Collins and Huey Davis were the “colored” front-line with Bobby Palacios (brown) and Eddie Steitz (Jewish) in the backcourt. They inspired me to be a good player.

1951-52: LEN TUCKER

I played basketball and baseball with him at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, CA. Later, Len played both baseball and basketball at Fresno State and then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the best hitters I ever saw. One year in the Texas League he hit .404 avg., 44 home runs 186 RBI’s and 65 stolen bases. Most of all, he was a black gentleman with great dignity that was the wrong color to be a major leaguer.

In basketball I played or coached with and against an army of All-Americans and Hall-of-Famers. I spent two days touring Portland, OR with Evel Knievel who was in town to jump over a bunch of cars. While attending grad school at the Univ. of Washington I worked out with a young infield candidate with the Chicago Cubs named Ron Santo. A Hall-of-Fame athlete and human-being.

I almost forgot … one of my coaches and teachers at Fresno State was a man named Cornelius “Dutch” Warmerdam who might still be the greatest pole vaulter of all-time. Dutch vaulted over 15’ 20-30 times before anyone else did it once and with a bamboo pole. With today’s fiberglass pole he would have been a 20’ vaulter. I saw him do 14’ on his 45th birthday.

There are many more with bigger reps, but those I have mentioned impacted my life in particular ways and never had any idea that they did so. Thanks for being in my life.

Don’t forget to check out the Coaching Bookstore while you’re here. There is a lot to use in your life in those books.