TO THE EDITOR:
My last cross-country race as a senior in high school, I was dog-tired and lagging behind my usual pace, but I needed to speed up if I wanted to qualify as a varsity runner.
I wouldn’t earn any points for the team, statistically I meant nothing, but I remember this race so distinctly because of my coach. Away from the crowds at the finish line, Mr. Mason stood at the last mile-marker and told me everything I needed:
“OK now, start to pick your knees up and move a little quicker. You’re almost there; lengthen your stride, keep pushing — you can do this.” He stood alone there as my teacher, coach, mentor and friend, because he knew that was where I needed him most. Mr. Mason, like Dean Smith, has helped me realize the impact coaches can make, no matter the skill level. The proof is in the pudding.
The sobering loss of Coach Smith has shown that his reach extends far beyond the Carolina family. He has influenced thousands of players and spectators with his moral obligation to be the best he could be, while shaping his players to do the same.
The power of a good coach is to see beyond the years of competition you’ll experience together and to focus more on the person you will become over the course of your lifetime. Coach Smith once said, “I do believe in praising that which deserves to be praised,” and I can’t think of anyone more deserving.
Sarah McCullough
Senior
Exercise and Sport Science, Coaching Education
