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I learned this week that my old boxing coach, Earl Girrior, passed away. He was 75. Since that news came my way, I’ve dwelled on how fortunate I was to have had that man in my life.
Earl took an interest in me when I really wasn’t sure where I was heading. I wanted to be somebody, although I hadn’t a clue exactly who. I was searching for a role model, someone like John Bernard Books was for Gillom Rogers in “The Shootist”. Earl was all of that. He was a humble man who came to Nantucket to run our Boys and Girls Club. Accompanied by his wife, Ellie, and their two children, Earl turned the Club into the place where every kid on the Island went after school. He greeted everybody who came through the door. He kept us all in line. We craved his respect so badly that a reprimand from Earl was like a lightning bolt from God. When we left, Earl seemed to always find something good to say to us that made us stand a little taller.
Earl’s passion was boxing. He was a Golden Gloves champion at 156 lbs. and almost made it to the 1960 Olympics (lost in the quarterfinals). He was introduced as “Gentleman Earl Girrior” when he fought. Earl threw a left hook that would make you hurt all the way to your toenails if he caught you with it. Earl taught us the things that boxing should teach -sportsmanship, courage and intestinal fortitude.
Earl’s passing has made me dwell on how important a coach can be to a kid. I know that so much about how I teach kids is my poor attempt to emulate the greatness that Earl had. I hope that every instructor out there will always remember that you have a significant impact on the lives of your students. They’ll remember every good word you say to them. They’ll also remember every negative comment. Ours is an awesome responsibility. Please don’t lose sight of how important that kids class is. Find that good in every student and let them know you saw it. Those good words add up and soon a kid full of self-doubt will begin to believe in himself.
God bless you, Earl. Thank you for everything. I’ll do my best every day to pass it on.
Re: The Best Instructor Ever
You’re a lucky man. There are a lot of people that go through their lives without ever crossing paths with someone that special.
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