My grandpa has an inspirational quote painted on his bedroom wall: “An outstanding coach is always an exceptional leader first.” My grandpa has taught me the importance of leadership. I have not come across someone with his same substantial leadership until entering into my sophomore year of high school when I met Mr. Rauch.

The most intense person I have ever met walked onto Arrowhead High School’s campus during my freshman year. He was a bald man, six-feet of pure passion and fire. You could never tell if he was yelling or if that was just how he talked. It was like having a personal public address announcer, making sure everybody's attention was on him.

I was working out in the weight room doing rehab on the ankle I broke during baseball tryouts.

He thumped his way over to me and screamed, “Hi, my name is Coach Rauch, the new varsity head coach. You a football player?”

I told him I was going into my sophomore year (even though he somehow mistook me for a senior). He told me he was looking forward to getting to get to know me. But I didn’t get the full Coach Rauch experience until my first year playing on varsity as a junior.  

We spent almost every single day together on the football field, but I never had a one-on-one conversation with him—until the playoffs. It was week two of the playoffs, and we prepared for an away game against Fond du Lac. The night before, my older sister and I had a terrible fight with my parents. (I’ll give you the short version and say I was in a little bit of trouble.) My mom told me it was time to turn my pads in for the year, and that nothing I said was going to change her mind. I was absolutely destroyed. Even though I wasn’t a starter (or anywhere close to even earning minutes) being a part of something that meant so much to me and having it taken away hurt.

I shook, sitting in the locker room before practice and didn’t know what to say to Coach Rauch. I walked down what seemed like 100 stairs before making it to his office. I knocked on the door and he told me to come in.

“What’s up, Luther?” he said in the scariest way.

I sat down across from him and told him, “Coach, there was a fight at home last night.”

He stood up and called another coach into the office and shut the door.

I explained my situation and told him my mom wanted me to turn in my gear.

He looked at me with calm eyes and told me, “I don’t care if she wants you to turn everything in. Are you okay?”

Am I okay? It wasn’t something I had been asked at all that day. After only knowing me for two years, it had felt like he had been living with me for years. He understood what I was going through and was content with trying to make my day better. It took me over a year to really appreciate what Coach did for me that day.

One year later, we were again in the second round of the playoffs, against the number one ranked team in the state: Fond du Lac. After 48 minutes, our season and my football career was over. Three years of having him with me every day on the field and in the weightroom was over.

After, he addressed the team one last time and thanked the seniors for everything we did for the program. Then, I walked up to him. He grabbed me like a bear grabbing for a fish. We stood on the field, with me just balling in his arms.

“Don’t worry kiddo, all good things must come to an end,” he said to me. But he wasn’t only talking about football.

After a long year, my relationship with my parents is stronger than ever. I have learned so much about myself just from seeing a quote painted on a wall. Coach Rauch was not only a great football coach, he was a friend, a mentor, and an outstanding leader first.