Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian once said that a good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.

Byron and Catherine Pulsifer, authors of inspirational and motivational books, have written that the best coaches really care about people. They have to be able to help people see the end goal, to take one step at a time, rather than being overwhelmed by the issues.A survey of NCAA Division 1 head coaches identified team culture as a key to their team's success because it creates a positive environment in which all team members can support and reinforce the best in one another.Managing these foundation blocks is what separates the good coaches from the great ones. Seven weeks ago I wrote a column on two mentors who had a great effect on my life - my high school principal Tony Marchakitus and a young football coach named George Curry. I stated how the former Lake-Lehman principal, who passed away the day after last Thanksgiving, made one of his wisest moves as a school administrator in 1967 when he recommended the hiring of a fresh new football coach out of Temple University named George Curry.Recently, some Columbia County visitors told me that Curry's health was not good, which was evident when we heard his final televised interviews last football season. The coaching icon who lifted Berwick's football program to state and national prominence passed away last Friday.Curry's 46-year coaching career produced six PIAA Class AAA championships and three USA Today mythical National Championships. His total of 455 victories at three schools ranks first in the state and makes him the fourth winningest coach in America.Most people outside of Berwick knew Curry as the master innovator, motivator and team builder who helped produce all those victories and championships.Many of the people who knew him best, however, especially the players who earned all those victories and championships, believe that he was more concerned with molding young lives.Curry certainly knew his athletes and was as committed to building their discipline and character as much as their bodies. For discipline to effectively change behavior, Curry knew that it had to be rapid and consistent. When a violation occurred, players knew that discipline would follow.Berwick native Bo Orlando, who had a hall of fame career at West Virginia University and played for a decade in the NFL, remembered the lessons he received from Curry off the field, particularly how a young athlete can develop into a gentleman and a disciplined person.Orlando, who was 15 when his father died, told the story of how Curry became a father figure to him.The mentoring continued even after Orlando left Berwick to play college ball and then 10 years in professional football.Orlando remembered his return home to Berwick after his first season in the NFL. He had attained the dream of playing pro football and was feeling pretty good about himself when he decided to pay a visit to his old high school coach.The first thing Curry asked was, "Did you get that damn degree?"With that initial greeting, Orlando's feet were firmly planted back on the ground.A number of the estimated 700 players who made it to college through Curry's mentoring could not have otherwise afforded going to their school. More than 200 of Curry's players received scholarships in Division I programs, ranging from national powerhouse teams, to Ivy schools to the military academies.Former player Charles Fedorco, who went on to letter at West Virginia, said college coaches knew if you played for Curry, you were tough and willing to make the sacrifices it takes to win and be a champion. He said Curry turned boys into men and that his players realized the difference between 'playing football' and 'being a champion.' "To those on the outside, Curry's legacy will always be weighed by the amazing number of victories and championships he compiled. But to those players who knew him best, his influence reached far beyond the boundary lines of the football field.It was Curry's ability to chart a path in life by instilling his faith and family values through hard work and discipline that made him so special as a mentor to young people.By Jim Zbick |

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