A Tribute to Coach Herschel Robinson
Today, all work on the novel has ceased. All ideas for my
blog are placed from the back burner into the sink. Today was a special day for
me. Why? It’s because I got a chance to talk to a man whom I greatly admire and
respect, and remember to this day. Today I spoke with Coach Herschel Robinson,
who graciously allowed me to interview him.
‘Hershey’ we sometimes called him after the Hershey bar. He
didn’t mind. He knew the term was used with affection. We knew he cared about
us. He was always encouraging us, in class and on the field. I remember he put
me on the offensive line- once. Heh. The play was something like 23 PIE WHY. I
was like, “Pie why? What in the heck is that?” (The play was 23 power, and I
was supposed to double team a tackle.) I didn’t say anything, didn’t remember that
play in the book, but just went and lined up and got knocked around. Good fun!
He would call to us from the hill overlooking the baseball
field where we sometimes ran for endurance. “Hey Houtchens! You’ve been
running! Keep it up!” It was so long ago, yet for some reason it was these memories
that have stayed with me, like old photographs that have faded with time.
We were crazy, back in the late 70’s. Silly, goofy, crazy
teens. We were in the difficult process of growing into the adults we would
become, trying to figure things out. He put up with us, because he saw us as
people, not as kids that sometimes gave him a hard time. I hope that somehow my
own students can see that in me.
I asked Coach Robinson (he earned his doctorate, but to me Coach
Robinson just seems to fit- I hope he does not mind) about his most memorable
moments at Ridgeview. When he first arrived, integration
was going on. He was one of the very few black teachers at a nearly all white
school. He said that one student especially made him feel welcome in his first
days- Jimmy Robinson, who later I understand went on to Georgia Tech. He also mentioned a student who was inspired
by his health class to become an MD- David Parks.
After Ridgeview High, Coach Robinson went to College Park
High School as an assistant principal. I asked him how things were different for
him as an administrator compared to being a coach, and he knew immediately. “I
changed from t-shirts to a shirt and tie, but aside from that it was the same
for me. I shared the compassion, respect, vision and hope with everyone that I
had for the players.” That sounds so very much like the Coach Robinson I knew back
then. Beautiful.
He had some words for teachers in today’s profession: to
keep the vision and hope they had from the foundation they received. These thoughts are
timely. For students and perhaps our own kids (those of us who have them) he
also had advice. It used to be in days past teens were told that they could be
anything. Today, the message has changed because the world has changed. Students
can only become what they prepare themselves to become. If you think about it,
that could apply to a lot of things. Students should fill their lives with
experiences, good ones, and not fill their lives with excuses. There’s good
wisdom there.
Coach Robinson was troubled by the recent tragedy in Connecticut.
He said we can no longer look away from our youth- we need to approach them where they are and
inspect what you expect.
He had some words for all Ridgeview Alumni. He said that we
were a special group. That once a Redskin, always a Redskin. That we
always had respect. Coach, may I say that that part came easy- we had you there
with us to look up to =). God bless you richly!
G.Houtchens
Armchair coach
Amateur historian
