I write to share with you my response to an article that was written in a recent S&B issue about the state of the pole vault at Grinnell. I made the decision to respond in a positive manner, without the need to gain approval, gather support, politic, or respond to peoples’ opinions.
I chose to respond by sitting down and writing the statement below. It took just 20 minutes, and 45 years. It is all I need to say. – WF
For my Grandkids, Athletes and Colleagues.
Dear Tryggve, Niyah Faye, Ezra and Eden,
Papa Will and Oma are about to retire from our long teaching and coaching careers at Grinnell College. Maybe someday, you too will follow us into this special profession. If you do choose this path, here are some things we have learned that we want to share with you:
Follow your passion and your heart. Do what you have a passion for. We have done that for 45 years and have never wondered if it was the right direction.
Become a student of your sport. Knowledge is the key to success. When Papa Will realized that he had far fewer answers than questions, he began to read. A lot. And he became a better coach as he learned more about the world … and himself.
You are on a journey that will be filled with joys, challenges, and pain. They are all part of the sport journey and the life journey. You will find that it’s in the most difficult things you face that can help you grow the most.
Every athlete is different and in a different place on the continuum, both in athleticism and in maturity. Learn to appreciate the different and unique things that make every person different. Do your best to reach every athlete, but don’t compromise on your beliefs and values.
When someone hurts you, don’t knee-jerk react to it. That’s the ego responding. Remember your values and what you stand for. Give it time and respond in a more meaningful manner.
Know that while the goal is to impact every athlete in a positive way, there will be times when an athlete brings more to the table than you alone can handle. Know how to reach out for support and help.
Know your values and what you stand for… and how that is manifested in your coaching and teaching. That foundation will provide comfort when times are tough. Don’t give up, especially on yourself.
Focus on a teaching and coaching process that is safe, logical, and progressive. As athletes improve in their sport, they adapt and will need to be challenged further. Understand training design and the need to individualize it for the athletes. Papa Will wrote a lot about this and spoke about this in his many talks around the country.
Coach your athletes from dependence to independence. It’s no different than raising children. You drive the car early. Then you give them the wheel, with you beside them. Then, a time comes when you need to get out of the car. And that is the ultimate level of trust.
While you will not succeed with everyone, that should still be your goal. The coach-athlete relationship is based on what each brings to the table. Focus on the person first, and the athlete second.
There will be times when an athlete disagrees with you on how you coach. Again, believe in your values, knowledge and experience. Do your best but know when to walk away if it becomes toxic.
Most of all, revel in your relationships with your students. The trophies will be stored away as your athletes begin to realize how unimportant those rewards really are. It is the relationships that matter most when both athletes and coaches look back.
It’s a functional process that creates top performances. Focus on that, and not the end-result. You’ll be amazed at how high performance will follow a healthy training progression.
The final question: When you finally end your career, can you say that you did your very best? After all, that is all that you can ever ask of yourself.
Papa Will and Oma are proud of their coaching careers, and proud that Grinnell College was the place we landed to coach. We learned a lot in our time coaching … mostly about ourselves. The biggest lesson we learned, however, was this:
Be yourself. Honor your uniqueness and never let others define you from the outside. The world will try to do this to you every day, and in every way, and even try to tear you down. Look inside and trust yourself. You were made to be you for a reason. Be proud of you. We are.
Papa Will and Oma did their best. We hope it was enough.
05/6/25