Dear Editor,
Our family thoroughly enjoyed the article,
”
The People’s Coach.
”
What a wonderful and highly deserved tribute to a fine coach,
family man and community icon. How fortunate the children and
families of our community are to be blessed by the vibrant spirit,
can-do, positive attitude, and enduring humble presence of Coach
James Wilkins.
Dear Editor,
Our family thoroughly enjoyed the article, “The People’s Coach.” What a wonderful and highly deserved tribute to a fine coach, family man and community icon. How fortunate the children and families of our community are to be blessed by the vibrant spirit, can-do, positive attitude, and enduring humble presence of Coach James Wilkins. Indeed, “The People’s Coach”” is an excellent label for this man whose role modeling and lessons in sports are rivaled by his ability to instill life values in children and teach them how to be great people.
Several years ago, our daughter decided to try out for recreational softball. While sports have always been her “thing,” she had never tried softball before and is deaf. Unfamiliar with the drills, not being able to hear and disallowing me to share any of this information, I watched as she chose the last place in line repeatedly so that she could watch others. Though an ardent observer, she did not pick up parts of the direction, hitting the ball too far and charging around all of the bases. As Coach James rushed over to her, I dreaded witnessing the embarrassment she was about to suffer. Refreshingly, this was not to be the case. A very special relationship developed that afternoon. The familiar labels of “disabled,” “special,” and “different” were replaced by a new one. Instead of singling her out for any error, “talent unlimited” was used to help demonstrate drills throughout a season which ended with a championship win and unforgettable journey to the All-Stars.
The heartprints left by this coach on so many lives, make this community shine like that twinkle in his eye. Congratulations, Coach James!
The Maiwald family
