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Wednesday, October 08, 2014

DENNIS M. PATRICK: INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER

Don Robinson. That was his name. I was 16; he was 28. I was a high school junior; he was my gymnastics coach.


What a coach! In the late 1950s he tried out for the U.S. Olympics Gymnastics Team. As an all-round gymnast, he worked every piece of apparatus but he specialized in tumbling and free exercise.


Don coached in many ways. First and foremost, he developed young men into the best athletes possible. He knew when to press the team and he knew when to back off. He knew the difference between encouraging and coddling; between empathizing and pandering. A bond of mutual respect and loyalty grew between Don and the team. I could not express at that time what I sensed. Years later I understood implicitly what occurred at that formative time in my life.


Few men come to us as “straight arrow” as Don. Even in a subdued outburst of exasperation, the worst language I ever heard him utter resembled something like “Crime-in-ettely”. But there was more to Don than “I don’t smoke and I don’t chew and I don’t go with girls who do.” I can sum it up in one word. Integrity.


Some attributes we inherit genetically. But character traits, such as integrity, are learned behavior. If a child is fortunate enough to come from a good home, then that child learns integrity at an early age. For less fortunate kids the challenge is stiffer.


The Don Robinsons of the world play the hand they are dealt. They either refine the integrity already present in a young man, or they start from scratch and help a willing young man acquire integrity. Either way, they work with the material at hand.


So, what is integrity? Generally speaking, integrity is the quality of uprightness in character and of soundness in moral principle. Integrity embraces absolute truthfulness and honesty in a person’s dealings with other people. Without integrity, relationships remain shallow and meaningless. Unless a person can be relied upon for absolute truthfulness and honesty, that person cannot be relied upon at all. This is true in any social institution whether family, church or workplace -- or even a gymnastic team.


A breach of integrity occurs when a person speaks untruthfully or behaves dishonestly. On one occasion Coach Robinson called the team together. He spoke directly and without fanfare. A team member reported a pair of leather hand protectors missing, possibly stolen. These pads, worn like gloves, protect the skin of the hands from tears when working on apparatus such as the high bar or parallel bars.


“Does anyone know anything about them?” asked Coach Robinson. Silence. What if we had a thief on the team? Who could you trust?


Then Don diffused the situation. “I am not accusing anyone. But if you know anything about the protectors, tell Joe. He needs them.”


Within twenty-four hours the misplaced protectors turned up safe and sound right where Joe left them. Mystery solved. Suspicion removed. Integrity intact.


Coach Robinson did exactly the right thing. In the absence of hard evidence, he assumed nothing. Coach Robinson did not accuse. He did not sully anyone’s reputation by implication. He did not cast doubt. He merely asked a straightforward question expecting an honest answer. A man with less regard for integrity could well have impugned the character of any young man on the team. The team learned a lesson that day.


Growing up is sometimes painful. Some folks never finish the task. In time, I understood more clearly the relationship between integrity, trust and close personal associations.


Don would have been 84 by now and that is hard to imagine. I cannot picture an 84 year-old man doing a hand stand or a back toss on the parallel bars. However, I understand from a fellow teammate that Don recently passed away. Who could ever forget how he built integrity into his team and led young athletes into manhood.


There are few men like Don. He is one of the most unforgettable characters I’ve met.


 

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

 

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