If you met both
Coach Groves and
Tom Rapp, you may at first figure there can't be two people further apart in personality and presentation on Earth. But that would be missing the alarming similarities they had. No, Tom didn't annoy anyone in management or administration daily. No, Tom never uttered expletives willy-nilly. No, Tom had no apparent aversion to Coach Paterno. But both Coach Groves and Tom Rapp both had a knack for guiding young men (and women) toward becoming better people. Neither Tom or I knew Coach was guided by the thought that
"College Athletics is for education and recreation, nothing more. Winning is important only because you learn more." Not until far after our college years were over.
Tom just retired from coaching cross country at Mason High School in Ohio near Cincinnati. He went out with a somewhat unexpected State Title in the large school division, the school's 5th title. That is with 4 runner up titles. He has also coached 3 individual champions in his career. Those stats don't even come close to eclipsing his greatest contributions to the physical, mental and spiritual growth of hundreds of his athletes. Congratulations Tom. I treasure every moment we had together during those years at PSU.
