Earn It!! -- The Story of Charles

Relaxation is something that people who work just do not allow themselves to do much anymore. I specified working because if you aren’t gainfully employed, a stay at home mom, retired, or unable to work, you cannot say you are busy and cannot find time to relax. That word, relax, has come to be such a word that just gets thrown around and we have forgotten how important it is to relax so that we can reflect on what we have accomplished. I say this while drinking a nice glass of red wine and typing out the latest blog. The red wine was a suggestion from a good friend, Cliff Coleman. He told me I needed to stop drinking beer, dang it, I really like beer, so I started trying red wine. It is a relaxing endeavor and seemed appropriate tonight. Relaxing was also hard for the focus of tonight’s past player blog. He worked his butt off and today he sees the dividends of that work that was done many years ago.

Charles Garneau was another of the French Canadians that came to FSC to ply their trade as athletes. He was recommended by another player and I was sure that he would fill the void created by losing some great former players. He was French Canadian and the others from the same area had been very productive, great contributors, awesome students, and downright funny human beings. When Charles showed up on the FSC campus he was a tiny thing. My first thought was, “Oh lord, we are going to have Napoleon’s complex with this one,” and he definitely played bigger than his body should have allowed. Immediately he checked off a couple of the important boxes. He was a great contributor with his effort and academics but he was struggling to succeed on the court and he wasn’t as funny as the others. The latter wasn’t super important because he was task driven and stubborn. The stubborn part was a little tough but as you will read a little later was an important part in his overall success. He immediately played in the top six and his freshman year he had some good success in singles and was adequate in doubles play. All was okay, then his sophomore season happened.

As we entered his sophomore season you would expect that the growth that had occurred during his freshman season would have toughened him up as he moved forward. This did not occur and that thing that happens to athletes known as the sophomore slump happened to Charles. He did not perform and at the end of the season had only played four singles matches during the entire season. This would have been great except he was being pushed out of the lineup by walk-ons. He was forcing the issue and was trying to play bigger and bigger which only added to his frustration and my bewilderment. As the season wore on I was getting angrier and angrier and wanted to pull the plug on this little Canadian. Here is where the heart and business do not go well. I loved my athletes as human beings. I recruited them because of various reasons. One reason was because I thought they were bad ass players that could make a difference on the court. Another was that I thought they would be great ambassadors of FSC and their academic prowess would make us a superior program on campus. The last reason was because they were good people and I really like good people. Charles fit all those boxes on paper and had done so well to make that happen his freshman year and then his sophomore year the train just came off the track for the athletic portion. After the season, Charles and I had to have one of the hardest talks you can ever have with someone that you care about. Basically, this was our conversation. “Charles, I recruited you and gave you a scholarship because I thought you would come here and make a difference on this team.” “Do you believe that you have done that this year?” He answered no and then I continued. “I am judged on my wins and losses and when I bring a player in that doesn’t perform that is on me.” After a deep breath, I continued. “At FSC once I recruit you I have you as a player unless you do something stupid. You have done nothing stupid but you have not performed. Do you agree?” He answered and I continued as the words backed up in my throat. “I need to bring in a player that can perform but the only way I can do that is to take away part of your scholarship so that I can free up the money to bring a player to do that.” “Will you please sign this paper that you are okay with having your scholarship cut since you agree you haven’t done what you were brought here to do?” He answered as the anger swelled in his massive heart. You see, the only way that I could cut a scholarship was to have the player agree to it. He agreed, then it was his turn.

“Coach, I cannot afford to be here without the scholarship that you have given me. I am going to go home and work all summer so that I can come back here and play next year. I will prove that I belong here.” I thought that was a great attitude considering the circumstances and felt the pressure in the room pushing me further down in my chair. He continued, “If I prove myself during my junior year would you please allow me to have my scholarship money back during my senior year?” I told him that I would make no promises but if he came back and did what I knew he could do we would sit back down and discuss what was possible. He then stated, “My mom and dad have told me that they would not pay any extra so I will have to work all summer to make the money to come back. I will work at restaurants, construction, teach tennis, or do whatever I have to do.” He signed the paper with tears in his eyes and left the room. I too left the room with tears in my eyes because somehow, I failed to get the best out of him on the court.

When a player tells you they are going to do something it is always dangerous to hold your breath in anticipation that it will really happen. Think about your own life. The idea of accomplishing something big seems appealing, world changing, and could make you feel like a real bad ass. Then the actual work begins and it’s hard. Demanding work is not something many of us strive to do. Well, Charles did the work. I mean he labored. He did everything in his power to earn the money to come back to cover the portion of his scholarship that I had unceremoniously removed from him. He also applied for and became a resident assistant in the dorms for his junior year. When he arrived back on campus for his junior year there was a fire in his eye and pep in his step that had been missing. He worked harder and more deliberately towards all his goals. He earned his spot back on the team in singles and doubles and we sat back down at the end of the season once again. You see, I was supposed to take the money that I took from him and bring in another player. If I was to bring in another player and Charles failed during his junior year he might leave opening more money for me to use the following year to bring in another player. I failed!!! I did not accomplish the task of bringing in another player so that money he so desperately wanted and needed just sat there slapping him in the face. He didn’t throw it in my face and graciously accepted my offer to return his money to him during his senior season. When the reward is earned, it is appreciated and it is honorable to abide by your word.

During his senior season, he became the boss of the team. Not because he was ready to do so but because he was the only player left from the previous squad. Seven of the eight players had graduated leaving only him. I recruited a fresh style squad trying to go more American, which is another story for another time, but it just didn’t work out. Charles had been a great six player and sometimes fit in at number five but during his senior season he had to play number three. He was a skillful player but he was not equipped to play at that level on a day in, day out basis. He took his lumps during the senior year and that squad was the worst performing team I ever coached. We just weren’t that good. We had fun as a team, the guys were awesome, we just didn’t win. This falls squarely on my shoulders and the players gave me everything they had. The best moment of the year as an athlete for Charles was during his last match of the season he was able to pull off a win to end his career on a personal victory. He was also awarded the MVP award because he dealt with so much his senior year it was the only logical thing I could do to honor his efforts. He earned it more for the work he did to get to that point than he ever did as the athlete he was.

Charles graduated but didn’t leave. If you go to the Mortgage Firm in downtown Lakeland you can see him working side by side with one of his former teammates. His work ethic continues to allow him to pursue excellence. Now, he just helps others achieve their dreams. The walls that were put in front of Charles have created a beautiful home that he now resides in with his girlfriend. Well done Charles, well done!