Dear Chris,
Hundreds of people paid tribute to Coach Derr last night at his funeral. Several kids spoke of him paying for their bus passes just so they could get to practice. I spoke about his commitment level to the game of football and to the players he coaches and how high it was. Fore example, whenever he had to go to the hospital to get treatment he would call me from the hospital just before they admitted him to tell me he would not be at practice that day. That happened several times over the last few years. MOST of us do not do that or even considers doing that!
The thing I feel was his best attribute was that he NEVER GAVE UP ON A KID. He enjoyed coaching the kids that no other coach wanted. He would say “Give them to me, I will coach them up!” He loved the underdog and he loved seeing kids improve. He LOVED that. I challenged the coaches last night at the funeral to pick a kid that no one wanted and “coach him up” next year. That is what John would have wanted us to do as coaches to honor his memory.
His passion for mentoring kids was ahead of his time. He loved the SportsLeader mentoring program and met with kids all the time. He was doing this type of thing for years before, as well, and once told me how happy he was that SportsLeader was spreading the word on how to mentor properly and how ALL coaches need to be held accountable for this. He also had unreal passion for the game of football and preparation. This season he was very tired the whole year so he was ONLY 2 hours early for practice and left ONLY 1 hour late. WOW!! That mental and physical toughness really showed his passion for the game to the kids. I know he wanted to finish the year before he left this earth and that is exactly how it worked out, thanks be to God. He left Bethel after the equipment turn in at the end of the season, went directly to the hospital, and passed away there 2 days later. He never made it home from practice. I think he wanted it that way.
He also ALWAYS answered his phone. People today let calls go to voicemail. Coach Derr always picked up the phone because your call was important to him; I think we should all take a lesson from that. He was not concerned about records, he had the wisdom to realize that your record is only one indicator of success. Even if we lost, the next day on film he would say, “You see that, you see that; that kid is getting better “ He was ONLY in it for the kids, not personal glory. And this from a volunteer coach! For John was not receiving a dime the last few years he coached with me. I know all the coaches and players ever associated with John Derr will agree, what an incredible legacy to live!
