On Tuesday morning my son had wrestling practice. He had just finished up a special wrestling clinic set up by his coach. Coach Q. and Jake were in the coach's office.. Coach tried to apologize for being rough on Jake during practice. Jake told it him was fine because he knew that coach was helping him to be better. He also told coach Q that he appreciated him. Jake has had a bit of the cold/flu... he walked out the gym doors to the sidewalk to spit.. he felt Coach Q behind him grabbing his sweatshirt, Coach said twice "Jake I am going to pass out".. as Jake turned around Coach Q was falling to the pavement where he struck his head. He was unconscious. There was no one around..at all. Jake checked his pulse... he had one. Then he ran to the office to call 911.. but the phone would not connect. Jake ran back to check on the coach... still out.. still had a pulse and was breathing shallow.. Jake ran to the back of the building to find a maint. worker... he got them to come with him and to call 911 on their cell. When they got to coach .. no pulse.. no breathing... so the Maint. man started CPR... Jake stayed by coachs side the entire time.
I pulled up in the van.. Jake waved me forward and hollered that coach was down and the ambulance was behind me.
The paramedics arrived.... and then did other coaches and students... police taped off the area. Jake was with the men the entire time.... After they took coach in the ambulance, Jake spoke with the school admin. And then they all talked to me....
Jake had done everything perfectly...he was stoic.. but able to talk about the situation. We went home and talked about the whole thing... an hour later the high school admin called....
Coach was dead.... a massive heart attack had taken his life. This was a sweet, caring, enthusiastic 50 year old man. and he is gone.
Today, we went to the wake. Jake and I went about an hour after the viewing began. The room was filled with overwrought family members. We had talked about the fact that Coach Q's family would probably like to speak to him as he was the last one to be with Coach. I was so proud of Jake. He introduced himself to coach's wife. I told her that Jake was the student with Coach when he died. She and her son, who is 19, talked with Jake about Coach's last conversation and the minutes Jake spent with him. Both were grateful to Jake for his efforts and glad to hear of Jake and coach's last conversation. Jake and I then went into the chapel where Coach was laid in a casket surrounded by flowers and photographs. We said our prayers.... and sat in the chapel... and Jake began to cry. It was the first time that he cried since this whole thing began.... he then grabbed my hand.. and we wiped our tears. He then went up to the casket again before we left the room. He said he needed to Thank his coach for having worked so hard with him. We said our good byes to the family.
Jake is a good kid. He is an 'old soul' as some have said.
I was impressed by the man he is becoming to be. He is still a teen ager full of angst, humor, and dreams. I could not have asked for a more mature response from anyone than what Jake provided Coach with on his final day.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
Joan
I pulled up in the van.. Jake waved me forward and hollered that coach was down and the ambulance was behind me.
The paramedics arrived.... and then did other coaches and students... police taped off the area. Jake was with the men the entire time.... After they took coach in the ambulance, Jake spoke with the school admin. And then they all talked to me....
Jake had done everything perfectly...he was stoic.. but able to talk about the situation. We went home and talked about the whole thing... an hour later the high school admin called....
Coach was dead.... a massive heart attack had taken his life. This was a sweet, caring, enthusiastic 50 year old man. and he is gone.
Today, we went to the wake. Jake and I went about an hour after the viewing began. The room was filled with overwrought family members. We had talked about the fact that Coach Q's family would probably like to speak to him as he was the last one to be with Coach. I was so proud of Jake. He introduced himself to coach's wife. I told her that Jake was the student with Coach when he died. She and her son, who is 19, talked with Jake about Coach's last conversation and the minutes Jake spent with him. Both were grateful to Jake for his efforts and glad to hear of Jake and coach's last conversation. Jake and I then went into the chapel where Coach was laid in a casket surrounded by flowers and photographs. We said our prayers.... and sat in the chapel... and Jake began to cry. It was the first time that he cried since this whole thing began.... he then grabbed my hand.. and we wiped our tears. He then went up to the casket again before we left the room. He said he needed to Thank his coach for having worked so hard with him. We said our good byes to the family.
Jake is a good kid. He is an 'old soul' as some have said.
I was impressed by the man he is becoming to be. He is still a teen ager full of angst, humor, and dreams. I could not have asked for a more mature response from anyone than what Jake provided Coach with on his final day.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
Joan
You have every right to be proud of him and how he has handled this so far. Having just lost my own mother a couple of months ago, I know that the effects of something like this can take a while to deal with. Expect that your DS will have this on his mind for a very long time, even if he doesn't discuss it.
