The Timeout, or lack thereof.
I had the pleasure of coaching basketball with Brian, but more special was when Brian coached my boys and I sat on the sidelines cheering, not coaching.
While I have enjoyed coaching my kids in many sports, there is a great joy in sitting back and watching them compete and enjoying their play as a fan. I have never been one to be one of those parents who coach from the sidelines or bench, there are plenty of those, but just once I wish I were!
In the CMRC rec league in 2010, my boys Colin and Grayson played on a team coached by Brian. Inspired by John Wooden, the UCLA Bruins had a .500 or so season, but then the team went on a Ravens playoff-type run. In typical Coach Walsh fashion the team, parents, grandparents, and anyone lucky enough to be on the email string received a game analysis after the semi-final game, which read, in part:
3-9-2010 – Congratulations UCLA!
With your fantastic play on Saturday, we will Go for the Gold tomorrow night at 6pm on the Full Court at St James to take on the #1 Seed Stanford Cardinal for the CMRC Championship.I speak for Coach Ed and Coach Patrick that we were so proud of your effort on Saturday. Having to play back to back games against two very good teams was a tremendous challenge and you rose to the occasion. Game 1 started without our valuable point guard, Luke Levendusky, who was scheduled to make it to the game by halftime. Our Bruins knew they would have to pick up all the things Luke does and pass well, get down on the floor for loose balls and play some defense and we felt we were up to the task.
We will need a great effort to beat a great team, but the bottom line is we want you to go out and have fun and play the way you know how to play. It has been a real pleasure and honor coaching all of you, great job on making the finals, let’s have some fun and see what happens!
The championship game was the one Tom Walsh spoke of at Brian’s Memorial service. The one that got away, the one that was so close – coach where is the timeout?!
After a game of inspiring play by the Walsh-led Bruins, they were up 3 with less than 10 seconds to play. The opposing team had the ball and after passing then penetrating scored on a layup with 2 seconds left. In the commotion of the late seconds my son Colin received the ball under the basket. Everyone – coaches, kids, parents, grandparents, were on their feet.
You could feel the energy. The kids had to be excited, nervous, and not exactly sure what to do. A perfect spot for a timeout. My son, Colin, received the ball under the basket and attempted to inbound the ball. His inbound pass was intercepted by the biggest kid on the opposing team, who passed quickly to an open teammate, who put the shot up just before the buzzer. Swish. Game over. Bruins lose by 1.
Stunned silence.
After the game Brian comes over and says to me “I was so caught up in the game I forgot to call timeout. Why didn’t you call a timeout?”
I can only imagine the excitement in Brian’s voice when he gave to Tom the analysis on the last 10 seconds – “We had it, we had it!”
That excitement and passion for sports, kids, and life is something that I admire greatly about Brian. Brian made me a better person and I strive to emulate many of his great qualities. There are many times and many things that cause me to think of Brian. I chuckle when I see parents coaching from the sideline. I chuckle and think you really should be on the other sideline.
That’s just not my style. But if only once….
God bless you Brian Walsh.
Story Submitted by Stuart White
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – John Wooden