Page 20 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2024 - Online Magazine

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Senior
Senior

Greg Clark

Right Behind My

Own Children

by Aasiya Ortiz

“ in, win, win,” I hear dreams, but they
behind my thudding must understand
Wheart and the cheering that the “profession
crowds. “Win,” a young coach yells is an ongoing work.
from the opposite sideline. Across I’m still learning after
from me, a team of unfamiliar 40 years. I don't know
faces is painted with a shade of how many years I
uncomfortable pressure, driven have left, but I have
by their own coach’s pursuit of no doubt that I will
victory. When they graduate, football be learning in my last
becomes a memory of statistics. But years.”
from our sideline, where my family
wholeheartedly prays for my success Clark’s ability to you’re bad, and that, if you keep
and safety, comes another voice. The balance his career and home life has plugging away and showing up,
familiar, loving voice yells, “Fight been something that disrupts his good things will happen to you.”
your hardest!” peace. “Oftentimes, I spend more
time with athletes than I do with my “I don’t care what that says,” said
Greg Clark has been leading young own kids.” Another gloomy shadow Clark as his hand conceals the
men through the game of football that Clark battles is “seeing young scoreboard from sight. The red
for 40 years. After four decades, his men, despite my best efforts, that numbers “don’t tell the whole
love and passion for the sport and I cannot help.” Clark was visibly story.” He believes effort, as being
career continues to burn brightly. troubled as he continued. “That’s of utmost importance, can’t be
“Relationships” keep his flame been frustrating because there's been measured. After graduation, scores
ablaze. He feels as if it’s something more than I want to admit to who, will gradually fade with time. But
he’s “called to do, to help young unfortunately, I haven’t been able to the laughs, smiles, tears—they will
men become better.” As one of his help.” all be engraved into the mind, like
athletes, I understand that this is ancient stories engraved onto stone.
exactly what he’s called to do. The Clark hopes that his athletes “I’ve mentioned, frequently, some of
impact I know he has on me and my understand the connection between my memories of my days as a player
teammates is everlasting, and the football and life. “I hope that the and how they’re still with me. I hope
memory of him is something we’ll players have seen that self-discipline that’s part of what they (his athletes)
take to our graves. and hard work can pay off. I hope carry forward. Hopefully, I’m
that they understand that life is a remembered as a guy who, maybe,
Clark believes “patience” is the process: that everything isn’t fixed made a difference once in a while.”
biggest challenge a coach endures. in one day or one week, and because
Winning a state championship you fall short on one day doesn’t Clark spent no time pondering
rightfully imbues every coach’s mean your life is ruined or that his answer when asked what three

20 Lubbock Senior Link