Do you ever just think of random people from your past?

I find myself thinking of the most MOST random people throughout the day. Not every day. Just often enough that it makes me question my sanity. Then again maybe this is a good thing.

The people I think of didn’t even really play a significant role in my past. No ex girlfriends from childhood. No best friend that took a different path in life. That would almost be normal.

I think about my Elementary School basketball coach Mr. Althoff. I didn’t necessarily like playing for Mr. Althoff. He had a little bit of a temper for coaching 11 and 12 year olds honestly. Nobody is going to the league from Weaverville, CA. Let alone in 7th grade. Chill man.

Also, I didn’t really see eye to eye with Coach Althoff on the subject of my playing minutes. We clearly had different evaluations of my basketball abilities. Put me in the god damn game Coach!

And even though he yelled too much and didn’t play me enough (IMO) I loved having him as my Coach. I know, sounds kind of dumb. Would I have had more fun playing for a different coach? Probably, but there was something extremely rewarding about doing something right for a coach that had absurd standards.

Man when we got shit right and were clicking as a team Althoff was on cloud nine. If we had a good practice he would smile and crack jokes, he would let us do trick shots in the lay up line. Hooping was good.

God forbid we got shit wrong. If you have played basketball at any competitive level and are required to practice you are familiar with the conditioning drill known as: Liners. This mutha f…..This Dude.If you asked me right now “would you rather go to jail for one year or run liners until you puke?”

Jail every time. And Althoff was one of those “If one of you screws up you all screw up” kind of coaches. Zach is 10 minutes late to practice. Guess what Zach gets 10 liners, but oh hey hey guess what again…Everybody gets 10 liners.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SCREWING OFF HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET 15 TWELVE YEAR OLDS AROUND EACHOTHER?!?!?

I spent 47% of 8th grade running liners.

I think maybe the moral of this story and the reason why I remember Coach Althoff so well is because he challenged me in a way I had yet to be challenged as a child. He made you work, but the work was never good enough.

Impossible to please.

As life has gone on I’ve run into more individuals that fit the Althoff “mold”. People that share that same impossible to please personality or whatever you’d like to call it. I’m sure you’ve met some too. Maybe a boss or supervisor. Perhaps an ex boyfriend or girlfriend. Hell maybe even a family member. I guess because of Mr. Althoff I know how to better deal, engage, and cope with these people.

Every person you meet is a learning lesson, even if you’re too young or naive to realize it.

Also when I was 15 I went back to my elementary school and absolutely destroyed Mr. Althoff in three straight games of HORSE. “I don’t remember you being such a good shooter”

Eat it Coach.

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