Enjoy the Ride

Life can easily spoil us--successes, good health, loyal friends. "Spoiled," in my world, translates to "taking for granted."  While I had been part of the Dover High School athletic scene for twenty years, I found myself falling into an envious trap, one that found me expecting all our teams, regardless of sport, to win.  Why?  We are Dover--winning is what we do. At the risk of sounding overly arrogant, that was my mindset--I was spoiled.  We didn't hope to win; we expected to win.  As I neared my career's end, I periodically took inventory of what was going on around me, what I needed to savor before it ended. My appreciation for what I had experienced was cemented in a belief in our kids, our athletes, and that has never changed. However, I also have come to a conclusion regarding our community and our athletic leaders--we love to win, but I realize just how spoiled we have become.  When others from neighboring communities shout various barbs at us because of our persistent winning, I have a stark realization of why they do it:  we are spoiled, make no mistake.

For twenty-one years, I have sat in the stands and watched the magic of Dan Ifft on the football field. Yes, Dover has always fielded strong teams, but they have never seen a consistent year-in, year-out performance as has been demonstrated by this man. Under his guidance, we have realized--some grudgingly, of course, as the comparisons to various eras have revealed--that we are watching a man with a knack and competitive zeal that is unequaled in these parts. While his excellent, loyal staff has remained remarkably stable, the one constant has been Dan--he runs the show. Many will tell you that they don't understand him, they don't agree with his philosophy, they think he's arrogant--whatever. Dan is a winner, but he is also a courageous man, one who in the midst of success abandoned his running game philosophy and adapted to a new approach, all because he recognized that to reach higher goals a shift in his beliefs was necessary. Anyone who has ever coached should be able to attest that deserting a personal philosophy is a serious case of humble pie--I always keep that in mind when I hear Dan described in critical terms. Through it all, he and his teams have remained disciplined, tough, and humble--that is him to a tee. He is a man of principle, and he has led his football program to heights never before reached in Dover--say what you want, I treasure this man's contributions to our community.

Brenda Wherley is a godsend to us; in truth, over the years, Dover has had a few remarkable swimmers (John Hoopingarner comes to mind); however, never before has this community seen a swimming juggernaut like the Dover boys' and girls' teams. Brenda is fiercely devoted to the sport; pushing kids to excel is her nature, and her athletes love her because they know that she is not seeking personal glory--her motivation is those kids. Face it, when Dover swimming is mentioned, Brenda's face is what surfaces. I have watched her from a distance because my knowledge of competitive swimming is nil; what I have seen is someone who has an innate drive to succeed, to take others to the level she demands. She and her trustful sidekick coach have been together for many years, and they share the same drive. Looking for excellence is her personality; as a person, no one is finer--she does her job, she interacts freely with her peers, and she maintains an enviable respect from her swimmers and co-workers. She understands how to win--disciplined, tough, and humble. As a swimming coach, she has led her program to heights never before reached in Dover--say what you want, I treasure this woman's contributions to our community.

I came to Dover over twenty years ago because I was going to have the opportunity to teach at a larger school than Strasburg, to confront a challenge that I welcomed, and to coach with Bobby Von Kaenel, a friend and opponent for a large part of my life. Something told me that this was an opportune moment in my career--nothing has ever changed that belief. Interestingly, Bobby and I had not always gotten along that well.  I remembered one time when we were coaching against each other in a year when his team was strong and mine wasn't--I felt he had run up the score in an attempt to get a kid a record of some kind. As a result, for a few weeks, I was not enamored by him. In time, however, my poutiness subsided, and I realized that what we shared was an intense love of basketball and a fierce drive to win--in short, we were far more similar than I would have ever guessed. Over the past twenty-plus years, he has led our boys' teams to heights never before attained in Dover. I always understood one crucial point:  Bobby was the boss, the leader, the one who steered the ship. My role was second fiddle, one I loved to play because it allowed me to stay behind the scenes and teach my players. During that time, he had various other assistants contribute, all effective and extremely competent men. In sum, our staff was largely intact for all those years. What I learned, though, is that the public Bobby--the occasional ranting and raving coach--is not the real Bobby. The real guy is the one who loves to work with kids, who continues to stay in constant touch with so many former players, the one those former players turn to for periodic advice, and the one who will drop everything to assist them. Like all of us, of course, he has his detractors--occupational hazard, believe me. Know this, however: He understands how to win--disciplined, tough, and humble--say what you want, I treasure this man's contributions to our community.

If you read carefully, you will see that four mantras are repeated in each description:
*All are disciplined, tough, and humble;
*All have maintained loyal and long-standing staffs;
*All have led their programs to heights never before reached in Dover.
*Longevity + Stability = Success . . . and I have to guess that much of the dislike of Dover from others is triggered by the above-described formula.

I write these words not to bestow additional praise on these three outstanding coaches; no, my point is this:  We here in Dover are living in a gilded age. For the past two decades, we have had the tremendous fortune to watch three future Hall of Fame coaches work their trade at the same time at the same school. They win, they lead, they demand excellence, and we expect it. Trust me, the pressure to continue excelling takes its toll, but these three have endured. It is no secret that these individuals are inching closer to their careers ending--this era is not going to last forever, but, for right now, we have them--they are ours to watch, to enjoy, and, most importantly, to appreciate. 

A time will come when we will look back and say, "You remember those coaches? Wow, what memories." Folks, enjoy what we have right now; yea, we're spoiled, spoiled rotten . . . enjoy the ride, my friends.