Commentary
Remembering coaches Jack Henck and Ralph Short who passed on Jack Henck and Ralph Short were two definitions of their chosen profession.
Both were outstanding coaches, outstanding men, and by just being here and working with others they gave new dimensions to the definition of the word man.
Both died this week and those who had been privileged to know and to work with them over the years are that much poorer with their passing.
Jack was one of the first coaches I met after coming to this area, and a short time later I got to know Ralph, and enjoyed their friendship ever after that.
Jack coached track for many years at Brownsville, and some football, but it was in track that he became best known, in fact earning the nickname “The Legend” because of the teams he turned out.
His Brownsville teams defined the word track around this corner of the state, especially his hurdlers and javelin throwers.
Ralph was an assistant football coach at Hempfield when I first met him, and he later became head coach. But perhaps Ralph was best known around the area as a fine basketball official. He worked many games involving Connellsville’s teams, and it was always great to see him come onto the floor, work the game, and then have a good visit afterward.
Both men were leaders by example. Both felt you should accept people for what they were, make them understand that you were happy to know them, and you accepted them for themselves. Both were demanding coaches in the respect that if you were going to be a member of their teams, then it was going to be by their rules, not individuals working for themselves, and you were expected to be good people as well as good athletes, with the emphasis on the former.
Jack was often called on to be a speaker at track clinics around the state, and there were times when track athletes from other schools would learn that Jack was in the crowd and would ask him for help on what they were doing, little pointers he might be able to give them.
And Jack didn’t care if you were from his or a rival school, if you asked his help you got it. Development of a young athlete was his first priority, and forget what school he might attend or if he competed against you.
Ralph was also that type of coach, one who wanted his athletes to be respectable people and competitors first, feeling if you had those two qualities first, then you were on your way to being a winner.
I don’t recall ever hearing either coach holler at an athlete for losing, feeling that if that athlete had tried his best and came up short, then you couldn’t ask for more. And if either did have to get on an athlete, it was done off to the side, not in front of his teammates.
Both were disciplinarians. I can recall a couple of times when Brownsville athletes broke a rule, and they were set down for the next meet, no matter who it was against.
When Jack was coaching at Brownsville, the late Wilmer Burkholder at Connellsville, and the late Abe Everhart at Uniontown, they were the best of friends off the track, but once they stepped on the track they were strong rivals.
They wanted their teams to win, but they didn’t want to lose to each other, which made for a good friendly rivalry all around.
Jack’s track teams ran off winning strings in this area that will never be equaled, and it used to be joked about that when the County Track Meet was to be held, the committee should just go ahead and have the first place trophy inscribed Brownsville.
It was a lot of fun prior to the county meet to ask Jack what kind of score he felt would be needed to be first. He would look at the field, mull the competitors for a second or two, and then tell you that so many points should do it.
More often that not, he was within five to 10 points of the winning total. I used to joke with him that we should go to the racetrack together for with his ability to handicap track meets he might be able to do the same thing with horse races.
There was a time when if somebody asked for a definition of the words coach and man, you could say just watch the examples of Ralph Short and Jack Henck. Let that be their respective epitaphs. May The Lord grant them eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent.