GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — All eyes are on Paris for the 2024 Olympics, as some of the greatest athletes in the world compete to bring home gold. Those athletes are heading to Paris thanks to skill, dedication and the support of the people in their lives, especially a great coach or activity leader.
Throughout this summer’s Olympics, KARE 11 and Shriners Children's Twin Cities are teaming up to honor coaches who have had a positive impact on the lives of local athletes of all levels with a special segment, “Thank You Coach.”
KARE 11 viewers were invited to nominate a coach who has gone above and beyond to help athletes both on and off the field of play.
We'll post some of the stories you've shared with us below:
Jeremy Hood
A good coach recognizes another good coach. Jess Hertwig recognized fellow mentor Jeremy Hood in a letter after the two coached youth baseball. Hood also coaches football at Rogers High School and additional youth sports.
Hertwig said that Hood focused on developing each player's potential, instead of honing in on wins and losses.
"From day one, Jeremy emphasized creating a positive and supportive environment where improvement and enjoyment were paramount," Hertwig wrote. "Under his guidance, our team not only achieved success on the field with minimal losses but also built strong bonds of camaraderie and mutual respect among players, fostering an atmosphere of encouragement and accountability."
Hertwig said that he has seen Hood make a positive impact on his player's lives that will be remembered for years to come. As a heartfelt conclusion, Hertwig thanked Hood personally.
"Thank you, Jeremy, for your tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to the youth in our community," Hertwig wrote. "Your impact goes far beyond the sports field, and we are grateful to have you as a guiding influence in our children's lives."
Pat Garvin
The impact of a good coach can extend far beyond an individual sport. Jim Milinkovich wrote to KARE 11 to praise Pat Garvin - head men's basketball coach and co-athletic director at Bethany Lutheran College - as an example of a coach who teaches life lessons in addition to game advice.
Milinkovich wrote that Garvin has coached three of his sons and made a lasting impact on their lives both on and off the basketball court.
"While he is judged typically on wins and losses, you only must look at the men that have graduated under his guidance and the glowing success that each has brought to their employers, communities and families and relationships beyond basketball," Milinkovich wrote.
Garvin encourages his athletes to excel in school and volunteer regularly. Milinkovich wrote that he appreciated the coach's influence on his sons' lives.
"I trusted Pat to tend to my most precious gifts in life and he was a great extension of father’s love every day," Milinkovich wrote. "I never had any worries knowing they had this special man watching over them."
Derek Larson
A positive coach can make all the difference for a kid who isn't sure they want to stick with a sport. Kiara Magdik wrote in to thank Derek Larson, who coaches hockey and lacrosse in Forest Lake.
Magdik said that her son was debating whether to continue hockey when he started playing for Coach Larson. Over the season, Larson was a positive force on the team, lifting them up when they needed it and bringing donuts for early morning practices.
"After one game in particular I thought my son was going to be sad because they lost and he had made a significant error. Instead my child came out of the locker room beaming with the team 'work' helmet," Magdik said. "The coach recognized the need and lifted him up."
Magdik added that instead of quitting, her son is now asking when the next season starts.
Wally Wescott
During the Paris Games, we have to hand extra credit to the everyday Olympians — teachers who choose to be coaches in their limited free time. Wally Wescott is one of those special coaches and taught seventh-grade math and coached eighth-grade football at St. Thomas More Catholic School in St. Paul in the 1970s.
Jim Landwehr, who now resides in Waukesha, Wis., wrote that Wescott coached his team to the first football championships in the school's history in 1974.
"In the last game of the season, he actually started me and another couple of other guys who had been second- or third-string players all season," Landwehr wrote. "He had no idea what that meant to me as a kid, but, obviously it had a lasting impact."
As if coaching and teaching weren't enough, Wescott helped with the school newspaper, refereed other sports and organized fundraisers for the school and other causes. Landwehr wrote that he was an excellent role model and frequently went out of his way to help out students and athletes.
"Wally also knew that our family of six kids was being raised by my single-parent mother, after my father's early death in 1967," Landwehr wrote. "He took it upon himself to take me and another friend who'd lost his father to a high school hockey game that he was refereeing. He didn't need to do this, but it was just the kind of guy he was."
James Franklin
A good coach doesn't just create top competitors, they change lives. Amber Spratt-Palmateer says that is certainly the case with her son's martial arts instructor, Grandmaster James Franklin of Minnesota Star Martial Arts in Coon Rapids. Amber's son Carter has Cystic Fibrosis, and she says Franklin has helped him overcome the challenges the disease presents by being kind, charismatic, determined, disciplined and selfless.
"He has made a huge impact on my child's life as well as mine," Spratt-Palmateer writes. "If you ask my son what he thinks about him he says (Franklin) is his role model, has nice hair, loves Pepsi (like he does) and has a good sense of humor. I could go on and on for days but this is our short version. Words could not explain how grateful and appreciative we are of Grandmaster Franklin and what he has done and accomplished."
Spratt-Palmateer adds that while Grandmaster Franklin is an excellent role model and mentor, he is more like family.
Ray Dawson
Some coaches yell to motivate their players, but others can command the room with quiet positivity. Fourteen-year-old Jake wrote in to thank his basketball coach Ray Dawson as an excellent example.
Dawson doesn't have an easy role, as a coach for eighth graders in White Bear Lake. But Jake wrote that Dawson coached the team with patience and encouragement, and shaped a winning team, even when the odds were stacked against them.
"We lacked height and strength but we all could work hard and hustle, and Coach Ray always knew what to say to get us to give our all and compete," Jake wrote. "And when we did, we could beat anyone in the state."
Jake wrote that Dawson continued to show up positively for the team even after the painful loss of his father mid-season.
"Coach Ray was dedicated to helping us be the best we could be as a team and as individuals," Jake wrote. "I personally grew so much under his coaching, and hope to one day help someone grow as much as he has helped me grow as a player and person."
A heartfelt letter from an eighth grader is nearly as elusive as an Olympic medal, showing that Dawson positively impacted at least one young life.
Carly Rosa
Carly Rosa may not be a household name like Suni Lee, but this Blaine coach is making a big splash in the lives of young gymnasts.
Lydia, a 13-year-old gymnast, wrote in to share that Rosa has been an incredibly positive role model in her life and in the lives of her teammates at Jam Hops Gymnastics. Rosa pushes her gymnasts to try new skills, but is patient and prioritizes the athletes' overall health, Lydia said.
"She teaches us to be supportive and encouraging to all teammates," Lydia wrote. "Her hugs and positive attitude mean so much to her athletes."
John Newman
Elliott, a wrestler at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School, is singing the praises of Coach John Newman after seeing major improvements in his athletic abilities.
He wrote in a letter: "Coach Newman has pushed me to get better every single day. I can only say that I have become a better wrestler because of what he does to help us."
Elliot says Newman puts in extra hours helping wrestlers train in the offseason and summer. In his heartfelt conclusion, the young grappler wrote, "I hope you can show the world what great stuff he is doing for wrestling in Minneapolis."
Meaghan Schmitt
Members of the St. Thomas University Men's Rugby Club are holding up their coach, Meaghan Schmitt, for leading the team to the National Collegiate Championships for the first time in more than 50 years.
One of her players, Ethan, says Meaghan is the first female coach the club has ever had, and that her excellence reaches beyond the field. He explains that many of her players call her "Mom" as Schmitt treats every person in the program as if they are family.
"Meaghan is one of the most caring people I have had the pleasure of knowing," Ethan writes. "I have never seen a group of players so dedicated to a coach."
Richard Jacobson
Jill McMahan wrote to share the story of her dad Richard Jacobson, who coached track and cross country in Minneapolis at North High School, Patrick Henry High School and Edison High School.
This is about my Dad. He is now 86 years old. He deserves to be recognized for all the kids he's helped, including my sister and me.
When I was a kid, he coached my Coach's Pitch Team for New Brighton Parks & Recreation. He would tell you about the time a pop fly came my way and I ran the other way. 😄
My Dad taught science for years for Minneapolis Public Schools. He was also a track and cross-country coach. He often drove the kids on his team home because he knew they wanted to run, but didn't have transportation.
In 1989, his track team at Patrick Henry won the state championship with only a handful of kids on the team. If I remember correctly, it was partly because his high jumper beat the state record. I didn't have a lot of exposure in my community to diversity and inclusion as a kid and if it wasn't for my Dad, I wouldn't be the kind, caring adult that I am today. Thanks Dad!
("Thank You Coach" stories begin airing Friday, July 26 and every weekday morning during the Olympics on KARE 11 Sunrise).