By Steve Malone

The longer we're in the coaching professoin, the more people seem to want to know what kind of legacy we expect to leave behind. As I came closer to retirement, I began to think about it myself. I always hoped that when I left coaching maybe at least one person was better off because of me and no one was worse off because of me. A rather simplistic goal, but that's how I felt.

I spent my entire career as a high school teacher, coach and athletics director. I always hoped I was having a positive effect on my players and students. However, the most frustrating thing was, I really had no idea what, if any, influence I had.

One of my former players, currently a college athletics director and men's coach, once told me that "we didn't know what you taught us until we were gone six years." I know this isn't unique to me. It could apply to anyone who has coached.

Too often, coaches are judged by their win-loss record. Many believe that this is the legacy coaches want to leave. I don't think this is true of most coaches. I havve no idea how many games my teams won during my career. I do know that at least 23 of my former players have coached at the high school or college level, a similar number have gone into officiating and a countless number have coached at the recreation or club level. I do know that if all I'm remembered for is the number of games my teams won, I wasted 27 years!

It is my firm belief that everyone who coaches for an extended period of time leaves a legacy. Even though that legacy may not be on the national level, it can be just as important or even more important.

The legacy left on a small town by a high school coach could be more important and longer lasting than that left on the national scene. In many cases the impact on a community by a recreation or high school coach lasts well beyond the coaching career or even the lifetime of the coach.

Think of your own community. How many lives has been affected by the person who started the recreation or high school program? Even though that person may no longer be living, he or she is still having a profound influence on the lives of innumerable young people.

Most of those young people will never even know the names of the people who gave them an opportunity to play the game they now love. Names like Bob White, John Cosentino, Dennis Brumfield, Anna Steffen and Ebbie Finzel will probably never be known outside of Maine, West Virginia and Maryland, but their importance can never be understated. Their almost anonymous contributions to coaching and officiating in their towns and states can never really be determined. They will never receive the credit they deserve, but they did it anyhow. these are but five names of people who have devoted countless years to the development of young soccer players.

I don't think many youth, high school or college coaches consciously think about leaving a legacy during their years as coaches. That is why they will have such a great influence on young people. People attempting to get credit usually aren't selfless enough to have a lasting impact. The people who will be remembered are those who aren't in the profession for self-gain.

People often expect the NSCAA president to leave, or have a desire to leave, a legacy. I would be very naive to think that I'll leave a legacy after a one-year presidency. It's my firm conviction that if a president leaves a legacy, it will be based on what the person did leading up to the presidential year.

More important is the fact that one doesn't have to be president of the NSCAA to leave a legacy in the Associaton. Many of you will be surprised to learn that some of our most honored and respected members have never been president of the NSCAA, people like Walter Bahr, Bill Shellenberger, Ted Chambers, Gene and Walter Chyzowych, Ray Buss and Ray Bernabei. Yet can anyone say these men haven't left a legacy in the NSCAA?
 
Many of you will have an opportunity to influence your peers by the work you do with the NSCAA through national, regional, state and local committees. This impact can be as great, if not greater than, that of the president. After only a month in this position, I've found that most of my job entails working on issues from education, awards, convention and marketing. There really isn't much time for personal agendas. I think that you will find that your greatest rewards come from working for the good of the game and the people who play it.

Whether your legacy is left on the national stage or in your community makes no difference. In fact, the impact you have at home could be vastly more important than that left in a larger arena. All of us influence young people.

As I mentioned earlier, it's frustrating not knowing if it's a positive influence. My guess is that your influence is much more positive than you will ever know. I'm sure that your former players are telling people about the great things you taught them. I only hope that someday they'll also tell you.