The story of the "Rope" has been shared, really, all over the world.
There are many who already know your story Ellen Toy, and now they know what an inspiration you are, even in exiting.
I belong to a group called Volleyball Coaches and Trainers, and their leader John Kessel was looking for some inspirational banquet stories, so I shared ours...
John Kessel, you ask for some of these, and in our program, there is no shortage of "impactful" moments. Our kids have been forced to grow up much faster than their peers, and our story has affected our entire region on it's worst days.
This years banquet was special because the five seniors were the last group to witness EVERYTHING
from Coach Ellen's initial diagnosis, to Coach Jaime's Passing,to losing a teammate in a tragic accident. They watched as Thad joined them on the court, and the subsequent turmoil that followed. They were at the meeting when Ellen relapsed, and they were so happy to get her back again this year...
Ellen is a teacher, so she relies on visual's in both her coaching and teaching. She brought a long piece of rope out at the banquet and told the players to all come and hold on to the rope, explaining that in her most difficult days, they helped her cling to that rope, and that she in turn had helped them hold on as difficulty and challenge washed over our team.
She told the seniors that the time had come for them to take their piece of the rope, and take it out into the world. Tie it on to something special, so it reminded them of this team, this story, and the support it symbolizes. She told them to never turn their back on friends and folks in need, always be quick to throw them the rope.
Then she took a moment to compose herself as she also cut off her piece of the rope, telling her team that it was also time for her to move on, that practices and training had become too difficult for her and that we would be sure to find them a suitable replacement, someone with the right mix of volleyball knowledge and the kind of grit and courage it takes to be a Cavalier.
The road has been good to us, the journey rich, but difficult. Don't know where the next bend in the road takes us, but here we go.
Again if anyone in Western PA has any interest in this opening, send me an email at tim.jamthegym@gmail.com
Thanks
Tim