Track Coach

From: Barry.Jacobs@NCMC.com
Subject: Ralph Coate
Date: February 22, 2007 1:09:39 PM CST
To: vbock@vcbconsulting.com

I am a 1980 graduate of Macon High School and a 3 year member of Mr. Coate's track team. Many people are not aware of his contribution to MHS through the Track and Field Program. During the 70's, Macon was a track and field powerhouse.

If I had to name one thing that Mr. Coate taught me more than anything else, it would be personal responsibility. During my years on the track team, I was a distance runner, and the normal practice for us was for Mr. Coate to take us about 4-5 miles south of Macon on the country road in the old, school station (wood) wagon. He would usually drive about 5 miles, then turn around and drive a mile or 2 back, he always kept us wondering how far we were going to run. He would stop the car, and we would gather around the driver's side window and he would look at us over his glasses, with the stopwatch in hand, and say "Hurry back boys"!! I can still picture it today. We would run back to the school and he would be out on the track somewhere working with the field events and we had to run to him and he would stop the watch. He never raised his voice, and in fact was very soft spoken but had a way of motivating that is hard to describe!!

Probably the most profound statement I remember him saying to me was, " When you step up to the starting line for the mile and 2 mile run and look across at your competitors you have to know in your mind that you have trained harder than they have" He wanted us to be responsible for our own success, and he would never take any credit for anything we did. He would allow us to slack off at practice, not say a word, and then when someone lost at the track meet, he would remind us of our practice habits. It worked every time!! Ralph Coate is a great man and I hope he knows how much his former students appreciate his contributions to MHS.
Barry Jacobs


Barry Jacobs
Loan Officer
National City Mortgage, a division of National City Bank
2965 N Water St.
Decatur, Illinois 62526

barry.jacobs@ncmc.com