Homecoming

It was Homecoming yesterday in University Park and the football team dominated poor ole UMass in what I consider a little bit of overkill.  But what do I know? I admit I don't keep up with things anymore, and never watch any pre-game or post-game blather.  I also turn the sound off,  so because of Penn State's glorious no-name uniforms, I don't know any of the players names unless there are graphics involved on the screen.

Football Alumni make up the largest sports alumni group at Penn State Athletics. I would bet their active numbers are higher than 75%.  The second largest sports alumni group is Penn State Track and Field/Cross Country.  With all the work Clark Haley and others have done for 21 years now, we reach less than 20% of the total number.  Rather disappointing , to say the least. We continue to work to get those numbers higher.

So, it is heartwarming to hear from new members.  And when we do, I try to highlight them. This example is especially cool because it points out that Clark truly is a Leader.  Thanks, Clark!

 

Hello!

My name is Tom Williams, and I was on the XC and T&F teams back in '81-82. (I am in the back row of the attached team pic)

Among my great regrets in life, one has been not being more connected to the team back in the day and moving forward.  I arrived at PSU with total anonymity and left the same.  To his great credit (and somewhat out of character in those days), Coach Groves let me walk on.  I was not a D-1 athlete.  I knew it, and Coach Groves knew it.  However, I knew I wanted a Penn State education, I knew I loved the sport, and I knew that one day I wanted to coach.  Coach Groves gave me more than my share of verbal smacks along the way, and like many stupid 19 year olds, I assumed he hated me.

Fast forward to 2008--a big leap.  See the other attached pic.  While at a conference in Eugene, I found out there was a track meet at Hayward Field.  Attendance was a no-brainer.  When I went, I found out the US Jr National Team was participating and one of the coaches...was Harry Groves.

I found Coach, and perhaps thankfully he did not remember me.  But as he put it "there are a lot of people I don't remember any more."

And then something remarkable happened.  I mentioned that I was a coach, and Harry lit up.

Coach Groves shared that he had been trying to keep a list of all of "his guys" who went on to become coaches.  Suddenly I wasn't the scrub walk-on.  Suddenly I was someone Harry wanted to get on his list.  It was awesome.  Not the same guy who scared me to death my freshman year!

Back then I rarely had a camera with me, and even when I did I seldom took any pictures.  Thankfully, I got a picture which now means a lot to me.  Me and Harry at Hayward Field.

So, to guys like Clark Haley and everyone else on that '81 XC team...I wish I had been a better teammate and friend, but make no mistake, it was one of the most memorable years of my life.

 

 

2nd quick story...

Being a scrub, I also errantly assumed other guys on the team looked down on me, and certainly no scholarship guys would even know my name.

Then about 10 years later I was helping out at the runners' expo for the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.  This guy--who looked familiar--came up with a huge smile and said "Tom!  How are you doing, man?"  It was Clark Haley.  He acted like I was a long lost brother, which I guess I was without realizing it.

I have had lots of interactions over the years with my buddy Mark Heckel, who didn't believe I ran at PSU until he checked the team track photo.  :-)   Both there at the same time, but throwers lived on a different planet.