" I was born on the “the other side of the track” if you will. Poor, with an 18 year old mother who had 3 babies and an alcoholic, non-supportive, abusive father. My mother that worked several jobs to just try and feed us. There were many times she would go days without eating, herself. I learned at an early age that hiding my pain from others and trying to make people laugh as well as trying to keep my father in a good mood would help keep things from getting out of control. I needed an outlet and started playing youth football.
I learned that there are coaches and parents who only want the best for kids. A smile and a pat on the back was all I was needing to feel value and and a sense of belonging. (Coach Wolfe, Coach Clouse) I moved on to high school football where, again, I received smiles, "Great Job", and pats on the back (Coach Hedge, Coach Blakley). It was time for my Junior year and nothing had changed at home. I went to the first football practice and I didn’t have cleats and I knew my mother couldn’t afford them so I quit because I was embarrassed. My friends Mark, Rodney and Brian talked me into going out for track where I met another coach who I’m forever grateful for, Coach Chavez. He was always smiling, provided positive feedback, and encouraged me to "just work hard and great things will happen!"
I went to Missouri State with Mark and Rodney with no thoughts of participating in track. I hung around the athletic center and found another coach who quite possibly saved my life. Coach Clark greeted me with…you guessed it, a smile, pat on the back, and sense of belonging.
My future coaching personality was now etched in granite, from my hard working mother to my awesome coaches and friends! It was at that point I knew what I wanted to do in life.
My coaching training knowledge started in 1982 when I took a course called 'Track and Field Theory', which blew my mind. Learning that athletic success is mostly due to science and not just the result of blood, sweat and tears was an "aha" moment. In addition to this, I took many physiology classes which helped me realize that there are a vast number of personalities that must be addressed or you won’t achieve that crucial connection with your athletes that’s crucial to being a great coach!In the last 40 years I’ve been a sponge. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours watching and listing to successful coaches in order to increase my knowledge base for ALL track and field events. I crave information and consider myself to be a life-long student!
I received my USATF Level 1 and Level 2 Coaching certifications. I’ve studied world class, college and high school coaches to try and get all the information that is needed for my athletes to succeed! I still search every day for new advanced knowledge. If you are not learning everyday you are dead as a coach and will get left in other coach’s dust!NO, I was not an Olympian, National Champ, Kinesiologist, Sports Biomechanics, etc etc…. BUT after all this time I’ve learned from ALL those types of coaches and I know how to connect with athletes first, then I teach the proper mechanics, then we work hard!
Remember, coaches, you never know what your athletes are going through at home or elsewhere! The fact that they may not learn as fast as others, or don’t seem as attentive as you want them to be, might be because they have demons inside their mind that they can’t get away from. Remember a teaspoon of praise goes way further than a truckload of criticism!
Special Thanks to the mother of the century. Love you mom. "
‍Coach Butterfield