91猫先生

From the desk of Wally Dawkins, Athletic Director:

The school鈥檚 maintenance man was on his hands and knees, scooping water out of a hole he just finished digging where a PVC pipe had busted, causing water to fill the hole and overflow onto the sidewalk.聽 As he was 鈥減umping out鈥� the cold water with an 8 ounce Styrofoam cup on this early and brisk Tuesday morning in mid-February, I noticed his dingy blue pants and shirt were already covered 聽with wet, muddy stains.聽 Since the temperature was in the upper 30鈥檚, and I could see the work that was taking place was miserable at best, I approached Ken Harper, our WISD Maintenance Chief and said

鈥淗ow鈥檚 it goin鈥� Ken鈥�? (Knowing the answer to the question before I asked it).

Ken looked up, and with a smile on his face simply replied 鈥淚鈥檓 just glad it鈥檚 Friday鈥�.

The answer that Ken Harper gave that morning has always stuck with me.聽 Ken was the type of guy that always saw the bright side, and could make even a cold, wet, nasty situation into one that he could manage and even have fun with.

One of my most enjoyable things to do as the Athletic Director at 91猫先生, is to greet the Middle School students when they arrive at the gym to begin A Block Athletics in the mornings.聽 I try to always ask them how they are doing.聽 The responses vary from 鈥渢ired鈥� to 鈥渇ine鈥�, to maybe just a grumpy frown.聽 Most of the time the students will also ask me how I am doing and I always reply 鈥淚鈥檓 just glad it鈥檚 Friday鈥�.

You can imagine the looks I get, especially on a Monday or from the students new to 91猫先生.聽 Early in the school year, my incorrect assessment of the day of the week nearly always drew a quizzical look plus a response informing me that it was not Friday. By now however, most of the kids ask me 鈥渁ren鈥檛 you glad it鈥檚 Friday鈥� before I can even get a word out.

It鈥檚 one of the things I say.

In a locker room several years ago, a good friend of mine name Bill Luce, who coached football and baseball, would walk around the dressing room at the end of practice, and in his way of encouraging the athletes to get dressed quickly, he would yell out 鈥淗ubba-Hubba鈥� meaning simply鈥�hurry up!

If you have ever seen our Middle School Boys Dressing room in the mornings after A Block workout, it is quite crowded with nearly 60-70 young men trying to get dressed in an attempt聽 to be on time to their first academic class.

In order to encourage them, I also walk through the dressing room and frequently bark out my own version of 鈥淗ubba-Hubba鈥� in my effort for them to be on time.聽 Early in the year when I would give them the 鈥淗ubba-Hubba鈥�, they would look at me rather strangely, many times shaking their head while softly mumbling the Coach Luce call to action with an inquisitive look on their face.聽 As if to say 鈥渨hat are you talking about, which in turn, would cause me to explain the definition of the phrase.

Now days, several of them, when they notice me in the dressing room will call out to me saying 鈥淗ubba-Hubba Coach鈥�.

It鈥檚 one of the things I say.

Probably in somewhat of a cruder fashion, my Varsity Basketball Coach at Abilene Christian High School, a man by the name of Dee Nutt, would sarcastically look at us while explaining for the umpteenth time, the way to run a drill or execute a play, and would put his hand up beside his head, with his index finger up against the temple as if to point to his brain, and instead of saying 鈥渦se your brain鈥� or 鈥渢hink鈥� he would holler 鈥渒idneys鈥�!聽 We thought the former Abilene Christian University Men鈥檚 Basketball Coach, Texas Hall of Fame Player, and the Director of Basketball Operations for the country of Mexico鈥檚 Olympic Basketball Program had lost it.聽 Over time however we began to realize that he was saying we were not utilizing our brains鈥�therefore the term 鈥渒idneys鈥� would be blurted out.

Over the years, I have myself used this comical criticism with my players numerous times to display my displeasure with their thought processes.聽 Again, the first few times my players heard the word 鈥渒idneys鈥� yelled out by me while pointing to my head with 鈥減ointer鈥�, the expressions on their faces indicates that coach is nuts.

Now however, after I have explained for the jillionth time, a phase of the game they should have understood several explanations ago, when they see the finger point to the temple the abruptly say 鈥淚 know coach鈥�kidneys鈥�.

It鈥檚 one of the things I say.

As a coach, the relationship that I develop with my players has always been one of the most rewarding parts about coaching.聽 Sometimes, the relationship is developed through tough, hard work, and some of the time, its having fun, or saying things your players will remember you for.

So the next time your child says 鈥淐oach Dawkins is crazy, he always thinks its Friday鈥� or 鈥淐oach Dawkins has some really dumb sayings鈥�, just remember鈥�I鈥檓 in one of my fun times.

And that鈥檚 another reason to be 鈥淎LL ORANGE鈥�All The Time鈥�!