A Tale of Two Coachs, A Memorial to Coach Bernard Boyd

This past week I saw the fall of two coaches.  One was Joe Paterno who fell from grace in such a way that a long and illustrious career will forever be tarnished and many who had admired him will come to believe he was a failure as a person.  There's been much discussion as to what he knew and when.  What he understood. I have heard it said that he lost sight of the importance of anything except "the team".  He wouldn't allow the names of the players to be placed on the back of jerseys. No individuals only the group as a unit.  Only the team mattered and that individuals faded into the background when compared to the belief in winning and team play.  Even small children. I don't know what he thought or who he is.  The other coach was Coach Bernard Boyd who coached at Lee High School in Montgomery a million and one years ago in the 60s and 70s. During that time I had a perfect flip and short skirts, but not toooo short or they'd sent you home to change.  Its funny but I couldn't remember what he taught and had to dig out the Lee Scabbard to remind myself of his government class and a time in study hall.  I know a good bit about government, mostly that its a mess, so I guess he taught me something. I quite honestly don't know. I made good grades so I must have learned something during that one required semester.  But I can tell you many things he said to me, ways he conducted himself in class. I don't remember in growing up, one time, one incident when I felt threatened, violated, intimidated or harassed in any way. Not one moment when I was afraid of an adult or a teacher. (Well, maybe Mrs. Day in Latin.)  I didn't know what sexual harassment was, I didn't know that adults, teachers, coaches could not be trusted. I thought they were all, well,  like Coach Boyd, a good guy. Interested in helping us grow up as best we could.  I can remember one day when I had  a particularly bad fight with my older, and not wiser, boyfriend at Lanier and I was not in a good mood.  Coach Boyd immediately recognized the symptoms of broken hearted young girl.  He looked me right in the eyes and said "Miss Brendle, you need to come to understand that this isn't the biggest fight you'll ever have, or the worst breakup, or the saddest thing,"  He went on to say that young girls, and guys, sometimes think the world is coming to an end when they have a fight and the truth is, it isn't.  Most of the time if they just wait, just be patient, things work out.  "Don't be in such a hurry to make up or to grow up". I thought he was just an old man and didn't know anything about love. He probably wasn't even 40. This past week,  Coach Boyd didn't fall from grace, he fell to it.  Rest in Peace, Coach and thank you for being a good guy.