I had the privilege yesterday of meeting some fine examples of what Coach Ginn's dedication can do for a kid if they believe in him and in themselves. Or, as they'll all tell you right up front, if their mother tells them they don't have any choice but to believe in Coach Ginn, end of story.
Four mothers and two fathers of current GA students came to visit the school and tell their stories. They explained why there was also no choice but for their sons to put on their red jackets and join the ranks of boys whose lives will be watched over and guided by Ted Ginn, Sr. They want their own children to have what they were so lucky to have when they needed it and they want the values that they are teaching at home to coincide with those that they get at school.
The parents will talk for days about the ways that they and their friends and family have been helped by Coach Ginn, but every single story comes down to a few common factors: complete and unwavering dedication, persistence, love, and an uncanny ability to read people.
Ted Ginn considers every student he's ever had contact with as family, and their family is also his family. He watches out for his family with the eyes of a hawk and never, ever hesitates to swoop in and intercede if he anticipates one speck of discord.
The parents shown here all ran track at Glenville High School for Coach Ginn in the early 90s, but they'll quickly tell you that their life lessons had nothing to do with sports. Coach likes to say that track and football are just the vehicles he uses to get the real work done.
Two of the women are sisters whose mother was having some trouble keeping them in line and asked Coach Ginn for help. When he found out that there were two other girls, cousins, at different schools, he rounded them up and brought them into the fold, too. They laugh about the rigorous workouts and the training for hours on end, and in the next breath will tell you that Coach stood in as a father to give one of them away at her wedding a few years ago.
One of the two fathers, Anthony, quietly explains how Coach took the time to just talk with him for weeks upon weeks when he moved to Glenville as a lonely 10th grader from North Carolina. He figures that Coach knew how he felt having moved here from the South as a boy, too.
Being a Ginn Man himself, Anthony, a single parent, has no doubt that his two boys are in the best place he can find for them. All of the parents will tell you that Coach remains a constant in their lives even today. He will answer their phone calls anytime, anywhere and if a child is involved, he'll pick up the keys to his white minivan and head out to see what he can do.
This immutable commitment inspires complete allegiance in those that have been affected by Mr. Ginn. I have never seen anyone refuse him anything. They know that if he asks, it's needed and that everyone must pitch in when a need arises. As Anthony says, each one teach one.
Coach Ginn's values are being carried on and passed along by so many that he's touched. Two of the parents here, Sylvia and Eric, run a youth football team and an AAU track team for their nearby community's kids. A parent club was conceived by one of the mothers in the hallway yesterday as everyone waited. There's just no stopping the infectious inspiration once you see what goes on around Coach Ginn every day.
Kindest Regards from The Ginn Academy
