The Unwelcomed Homecoming

I had the opportunity to return to my home town to watch a football game this past Friday night. My old high school team played very well. The team has been down in the years of late, with a combined 2-16 record over the past 2 years. However, this year they are 3-1, and playing fundamentally sound, passionate football. I mentioned they played well and earned the victory. I was, however, not very excited about their victory, mainly because I was a coach on the opposite sideline.

This past summer has been very stressful for me. I, full-time college student, took a high school football coaching job at Oswego High School, which is approximately 40 miles away from Pittsburg. I took the job because I missed the game and wanted to find a place where I could possibly return to it. Oswego is that place.

I am also a recent alum of Humboldt High School, located in Humboldt, Kansas, the small community that I spent my entire childhood growing up in. Humboldt is very special to me. When I stepped foot onto my high school field, my "old stomping grounds", I was rushed with emotion. Every vivid memory that I have oppressed came back to me. It was a very emotional time for me and my family. The past icon to the people of Humboldt, the poster child to the community turned arch enemy seemingly overnight. I had that game circled from the moment I signed my contract. I was going to have to return home and face the community that shaped my character from the innocence of my youth.

As the weeks passed and the game grew nearer, I began to get more calls from back home. Some were out of competitiveness, but most were out of excitement. They were excited for the opportunity to play against me. I have known the kids on the high school team since they were very young. I have coached them in baseball and football. Our baseball team even made it to nationals when they were in the 8th grade. They were no longer just kids to me, they were friends of mine, which made this game much larger than football.

Like I said earlier, they came out victorious, and honestly I couldn't have been more proud. After the game I was swarmed by the fans, players, and coaches from Humboldt, all congratulating me on my success at such a young age, and telling me how proud they are of me. In my mind I couldn't help myself but think, "This is what it's all about." I looked at my parents getting congratulated by school board members and city council members. I had finally realized what I had done. I had left a footprint. I had left a legacy, even if in one of the smallest corners of the world. I had set an example and been a role model for the youth of a community that has been hurting for quite some time now. I have done my job in the town of Humboldt, I have accomplished what it was that I had wanted for so long. It's not about the games, the wins, or the losses, it's about how you carry them, and what you do with the glory that comes along with it.

Signing off,
The Sports Guru