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PAUL CHAPLIN
Mother’s Day, a time to celebrate that nurturing person that held ice to bruises and cleaned up scrapped knees. As we become parents, we realize the sacrifices that our mothers made for us when we were younger, like spending their weekends at soccer tournaments or shuffling us off to softball practice while lecturing us about following through on our commitments. Moms often are our first coaches and our best equipment managers; ensuring we have our school books and sports gear packed. Moms juggle it all when it comes to youth sports, from chauffer to nutritionist and safety officer. That is why it’s no surprise that professional athletes point to their mothers as a source of motivation, encouragement, and the support that helped them build their career.
With Father’s Day right around the corner too, most of the athletes I have ever spoken with in Central PA couldn’t mention one parent without the other. It’s clear that the influence of two mentors have benefits to the growth and foundation for student athletes to develop their skills and talents.
“[My parents] made sure I was given every opportunity to succeed at soccer,” says the goalkeeper of the Harrisburg Heat from York, PA Ryan Sipe. His mom and dad were prominent in his youth soccer career, signing him up at the age of five. Throughout the years his parents were constant support to his soccer progression, all that his family did revolved around him playing soccer. Sipe’s mom worked at UPS and his father was an over the road truck driver, often spending their weekends traveling for a league Sipe was playing in that season. Win, lose, or tie, Sipe’s parents always had positive words for their son’s forward movement in his soccer skills and career. Sipe’s parents still attend as many games as they can now that their son is with the Harrisburg Heat, Harrisburg’s professional indoor soccer team competing in the Major Arena Soccer League.
Sipe, also a soccer coach with the Capital Area Soccer Association says: “What they did for me, I carry over into how I coach and the way I approach my players and their parents.”
Parents, alongside teachers and coaches, play critical roles in student athletes’ lives. This was especially the case for Dan Beard, Special Teams’ Coordinator for the football team at Alvernia University. Dan’s parents were both first generation college students, becoming teachers and nurturers, giving back to their community. Dan was able to see firsthand the influence his parents had on building and shaping their students. His parents knew hard work, dedication, and selflessness, which is evident in the person and coach Dan is to his athletes and those he influences. His father, a very successful basketball and football coach, had an influential coach during high school, who helped him get to college. His dad’s way of honoring that coach was by helping other student athletes get into college.
“Dad’s high school coach helped him get to college–his coach told him the best way that he could repay him is helping other student athletes get to college.”
Education was and still is highly valued in the Beard household. When it came time for Dan to choose a college, his mom was the MVP; supporting him through the stress of looking at different schools and athletic programs. The applications, applying for loans, finding a major…Mom was there to help. His mother overcame adversity in her life, becoming the strong woman Dan speaks so highly of with two masters degrees from John Hopkins and Western Maryland. She was a big influence on the work ethic Dan has learned.
“To see what they did on a daily basis with players and students that they work with was very influential,” says Dan.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day still celebrates Mom and Dad, but more and more also include the mentors, coaches, and teachers that have helped shape students as people. Some athletes are lucky to have mom and dad’s support, but that’s not everyone’s story. Mentors and coaches have also filled those roles and been influential in many athletes’ lives. These holidays are days that remind us to be thankful to our own mentors and our children’s mentors, whether they be moms, dads, grandparents, coaches, or teachers.
