I have spent most of my professional career in education law, and both of my parents were public school teachers. My undergraduate training was in education, and I taught at the college level for 35 years. In my personal life and professional career, I have seen firsthand the profound importance of excellent teaching, and how a great teacher can impact a student's life. I recently wrote to a teacher who had perhaps the most significant impact on my life to let him know what he has meant to me. That teacher my was my high school basketball coach, Tony Salerno, who taught me (and everyone who played for him) many wonderful lessons that have followed me throughout my entire life. With his permission, I am setting out below portions of my letter to him, and I hope that at least some of you who read this note will consider writing a letter, however short or long (mine is admittedly long…), to one or more teachers whose greatness has inspired your life. Thank you!
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Dear Coach Salerno, I wanted to set down in writing some thoughts that express my admiration for you as a great teacher, and my gratitude for the many gifts you have given to me and to those whose lives you have touched.
I was recently asked to identify a great teacher who had a significant impact on my life. Other than my mother (an English teacher who was a great mentor to me) I wanted to identify which of my fine teachers in elementary, secondary, college, and law school, was my teacher who "moved the needle" of my life in a major way. I believe we naturally tend to focus our thoughts upon academic teachers, but as I considered more deeply the question, I realized that you were the greatest teacher in my entire school career. I learned so many lessons from our years together--hard work, setting optimistic but realistic goals, teamwork, sportsmanship, civility, selflessness, the joy of competition, and "seeing the entire court"-- not just in the gym, but in life as well. For the lessons you have taught me and so many others, I (and all of your players) are eternally grateful.
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On my desk at work I keep a list of kind, selfless actions by others which have had a meaningful impact on my life. The list is not long (only eight entries), but you are on there from when you talked me out of leaving the basketball team early in the season's senior year. I don't know exactly what caused me to feel down about the upcoming season, but your thoughtfulness, patience, and wisdom convinced me that I needed to get past that lapse of judgment and continue on, which was life-changing for me, as I love the game of basketball (even to this day) and would have deeply regretted not being part of our undefeated championship season that year with you at the helm and a magnificent group of teammates.
As I composed this letter, I thought about what a wonderful athletic journey we experienced under your tutelage. When you took over the reins of coaching at North Pocono High School, the school had a great basketball tradition, but had fallen on some very tough times with losing records and diminished interest. You immediately saw the need to rebuild the program from the ground up, and beginning in seventh grade, I and others were permitted to practice in "The Pit" at the old high school with the JV team of 9th and 10th graders. Although I confess to not remembering exactly who was part of that cohort, I do remember Mike Ognosky, Walter Kieselosky, Ted Davis, and Paul Kelly with me in some or all these practices. By the end of eighth grade, we were competitive with, and often defeated, the JVs at scrimmages. I do remember, however, that the first JV game when I was in eighth grade was against Abington Heights at their gym, and I learned the next day that the JVs had lost 61 to 5. I'm glad I wasn't present to witness that away game, as JV Coach Wright was none too happy about that performance at practice the next day.
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