Coach Houllihan

Talking with a friend one day who is the sales manager for one of our local broadcast stations, the discussion turned to the managers he has charge over. He told me about the activities that they are involved in followed with the comment, “We like our leaders to lead from the front.” I laughed, at least initially; I then began to think about the leaders and mentors I respect most in my own life. My Dad, Granddad and my Father-in-law and someone not associated with the family tree, Coach Houllihan.

Mike Houllihan was my coach in gym class from 7th through 11th grade. I first met Coach Houllihan as a mere pick-up-stick of a lad in Junior High school. It was nearly ten years later that I found out his first name was not “Coach”. It didn’t take long for my class to realize that our Coach was different from the other Coaches.

While other Coaches were yelling out commands, “Twenty push-ups, now!” and standing over the troops with a cup of coffee, our Coach was barking commands and doing push-ups with us. When discipline demanded that we all take two laps on the track, Coach Houllihan ran those laps with us. In five years under his leadership, I don’t remember a single time hearing him complain about having to do laps, push-ups, or other various calisthenics. Always there, always with a smile, always encouraging and teaching by example.

While other groups of youthful specimens of athletic potential were whining about having to run four laps before they could go in, our group was happy to comply. At mid-year, my schedule would change and I would have Gym at a different time. There was the Coach, consistently leading by example, regardless of the timeslot.

Mike Houllihan made a tremendous impression on me as a teenager. So much so, that I have employed his method of leadership whenever I have been given charge over a group either professionally or in volunteer service. It would be hard to believe that my Coach spent a lot of time worrying about who might be watching him at any given time. His leadership style was a lifestyle, not a “dog and pony show”.

As Christians in our local churches and professional organizations, our responsibilities will vacillate between “Coach” and “Team member”. Coach Houllihan made it very clear to a group of teenagers that looked like a bunch of microphone stands in sneakers, anybody can be put in charge, but respect is earned. Also, every member of the team is responsible to and for the team.

I think I’ll look up the number and call Coach this weekend; maybe we can do two or three push-ups over the phone. Maybe just one, he’s probably still in better shape than me.