The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

A couple of days a week I work out at the Y with a group of cancer survivors. At the end of the session there's a guy who gives free massages......he's blind.

I lost vision in one eye after my bone marrow transplant, have some impairment in the good eye, and I have some vision concerns, so I asked him about his vision loss. He told me he had lost his vision at age 6, and over time he just learned to adapt, and even though he once had vision, he doesn't actually miss it. He then told me this story.

When he got to middle school (we're talking the 1960s) one of his teachers coached the football and basketball team. That teacher asked him if he'd like to try out for the team. He asked, "Do you think I'd be able to play being blind?"

His coach made him a DT and put him over the center. He told him to put his hand on the ground with his knuckles bent and touching the ball. When the center snapped it he would go. They put a bell in the QB in practice, and over time he simply got a feel using his hearing where the quarterback or ball carrier was and they stopped using the bell. Eventually, he learned to hear when the quarterback was cocking his arm to throw. He learned to throw his hands up, and three times in his career was able to knock down passes.

That same coach ran wiring to the backboard, and put a buzzer on it. When he would be in the game he knew roughly where he as in relation to the sound. Teammates would hand him the ball and tell him if he was open, and he'd shoot it. He never made a shot, but you can tell it meant a lot to him to be part of that team.

Rest assured that teacher/coach did all of this stuff on his own dime and time. And probably few people knew he did this stuff.

I know a ton of teachers who buy boots, coats, hats, gloves, food, books, and school supplies for kids on their own dime. They don't boast about it, and probably only the kid or the parents know.

Its typical that we give gifts to our kids teachers this time of year. But a small card letting them know you appreciate some of the little things they've done would probably be appreciated just as much.

First, that is a great story. Thanks for sharing. Secondly, by and large, teachers are vastly underrated as important. They are often blamed for school failures and not credited with school success. Most teachers have advanced degrees and work long hard hours with often challenging students and parents. Of course, there are also rewarding students and helpful parents.

I will bet that every person on this board can an amazing teacher who made a difference in their life (probably can also name a crappy teacher). Anyhow thank you for the great and dedicated teachers out there.

Do you think the school/teacher also punished him by taking away his cane and replacing it with a pool noodle like this school did?

http://fox2now.com/2014/12/17/school-pun...ol-noodle/

Impeccable timing for this thread, really.

(12-17-2014 12:36 PM)BCBronco Wrote:  First, that is a great story. Thanks for sharing. Secondly, by and large, teachers are vastly underrated as important. They are often blamed for school failures and not credited with school success. Most teachers have advanced degrees and work long hard hours with often challenging students and parents. Of course, there are also rewarding students and helpful parents.

I will bet that every person on this board can an amazing teacher who made a difference in their life (probably can also name a crappy teacher). Anyhow thank you for the great and dedicated teachers out there.

My dad died when I was in middle school, and a lot of the teachers went out of their way to look out for me.

My mom worked until 5, so basically my older brother looked after me after school. My mom was in a bowling league on Thursday at 6. My English teacher was in a teachers bowling league that started at 4 and ended at 6. She let me stay after school with her and then took me to the bowling alley with her. I got to hang out with a bunch of female teachers drinking beer until 6 and then my mom would arrive for her league. Free daycare, not to mention I had a major crush on my teacher.