Thursday, November 12, 1998
Learning sports more than just way to kill time for heroic
coach
COLUMN: Al Birdsong proves teamwork, love important part of
game
I was reflecting on what a hero actually is the other day and I
came up with a coach I had in elementary school. He was my
basketball coach at the time, but is still a apart of my life
today.
He is my hero.
His name is Al Birdsong. I am quite sure you have never heard of
him because he is not famous, he does not have a fortune and he
does not seek gratification.
In fact, he is one of the most selfless, kind-hearted
individuals I have ever come across.
Of course, Al is not the only of his kind, so this piece is
about more than just him. But since he has had such an influence on
me, I will use him as the example.
The thing about Al is that years after our initial interaction,
he is still interested in what goes on in my life and in the lives
of others that he has coached and encountered as well.
Through our junior high and high school years of playing
basketball he was always there with moral support. If you had a
good game, Al was there to celebrate with you. If you had a bad
game, he was there still saying things to make the situation
better.
But it is quite possible that there never would have been any
post-elementary school era to speak of had Al not been there.
From the beginning, he was about keeping his kids out of
trouble. He does not have kids of his own, but at the park, we were
 and still are  his kids. The gym would always be open
as late as possible so that people could play basketball, watch
basketball or just talk.
Al always did more than his part to keep us from getting into
trouble.
If ever he would catch kids fighting he would stop it and tell
them to "take it to the gym." This meant that it was now time to
take everyone that was outside onto the court to run drills and
drills and drills. And while he did not force anyone to go into the
gym, you would always want to stay in Al’s good graces, so you
would cooperate.
After running the countless number of drills together, the kids
would be too tired to even think about continuing the fight.
Thinking about those drills now, I realize what exactly he was
doing. Not only was he creating a bond between the athletes by
having us run the drills together and then shake hands, but he was
conditioning us and teaching us the importance of teamwork at the
same time.
I guess his ingenious plan has come to fruit because I see
things so clearly now, while I had no idea what was going on then.
It’s so interesting that one can appreciate something that happened
to them so long ago that they did not necessarily appreciate
then.
He gives players confidence the moment they come into his grasp.
A coach that tears a player’s psyche down, with plans of building
it back up later, can actually shatter confidence beyond
reproach.
Al makes his players believe that they not only have the ability
to succeed, but also that they can bounce back from mistakes. He
always has faith in his players and he lets them know it.
He never wants his players to stop trying.
What is his motivation? I would really like to know because he
is definitely mine. I just look at Al and think, "That is a great
man," and wonder if he even knows it.
From the time I met Al and played for him at the age of 10, it
was totally apparent to me that he would be an important figure in
my development. Did I ever pay him to help me with my free-throw
shooting or my jump shot or my dribbling? No. Yet he was always
there no matter how much time I wanted to spend in the gym.
If things were going bad, I always knew I had the park to make
me feel better. Had the park not been there, I know not what kinds
of trouble I might have happened upon.
Al made sure that I would never find out. He would always
sacrifice his own personal gratification just to make sure someone
else would be okay. I just sit back and think about the times that
Al would catch the bus in the rain just to see his teams or
ex-players play. What kind of unparalleled dedication is that?
I grew up with a father in my home, but many people did not. The
effort Al put forth in all his dealings with kids really is
father-esque. I just know that those that came up with only their
mothers in their homes appreciate him that much more (or should
appreciate him more, anyway).
Al has always been more than just a coach. He has also been more
than just a recreation and parks worker.
And that is what a hero is all about to me. Thank you.
A. CinQue Carter is a seasoned journalist determined to bring a
news element to sports. Please forward questions and concerns to
[email protected]. CinQue Carter
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