Go, Mr. Foley

My high school coach, Pat Foley, was to be the subject of today's post, as he was inducted into the hall of fame last night by the Northfield Booster Club, an honor he earned through his many years of coaching and guiding young people on and off the cross country course.

Unfortunately, the happiness of the occasion was tempered by the news that Pat has just been diagnosed with colon cancer and will start chemotherapy today. Those who know Pat and wish to follow his story can do so at his Caringbridge site:

Web Address: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/patfoley1

It's hard to pay adequate tribute to a guy like Pat. His positive attributes are so many...but to me what stands out are his caring and compassionate ways, and the humor and positive energy that he carries with him. There's no way to quantify the influence Pat has had on those around him. I can only speak to my own experience.

I was kind of an angry kid, and very uncommunicative. My parents, recently divorced, bought me a punching bag as an outlet for my rage. The bag was well used and abused until I joined cross country in 8th grade and met Pat Foley.

I'll always remember how, right away, he asked so many questions, and wanted to get to know me. He very easily and naturally broached the subject of my parents' recent divorce. Other adults tried to talk to me about this, but Pat has a real talent for listening and letting people know that he cares. Many people told me, "it's not your fault" (I knew that) or "you'll be okay" (I was NOT okay). Pat was the first who said, "that must be hard." Giving a person the space to feel bad...seems so obvious, but yet so few people are able to really do that.

This was just the beginning. The impact of the life lessons Pat shared with me cannot be measured. I've internalized so much of it...I literally would not be the same person had I not met him when I did.

And then, there was the running...the cameraderie of this wonderful team, the juniors and seniors who took their younger teammates under their wings. And the miles, the meaning and knowledge of self and life pulled from long runs, races won and lost, meandering jogs through the quiet residential neighborhoods, the farmland outside of town, and the serenity of the arb. The friendships made and sealed in sweat and sore muscles, and over post-run donuts on Saturday mornings.

As a high school coach myself, I have often thought, "What would Pat do?" I've attempted to nurture a team atmosphere similar to the one that I was lucky enough to stumble into as an 8th grader, and to try to instill some of the lessons I learned from Pat. Committment, dedication, hard work, humility, perspective, the importance of humor, and the power of positive thinking.

Those who know Pat will not be surprised to hear he is facing this cancer thing head-on, unflinchingly. He's ready to run this race, and those who know and love him are right there cheering him on.