Special Kid

It was the spring of 1977. I had recently signed my first of what would be 21 teaching/coaching contracts with Jacksonville School District 117. My wife and I were in a Realtors auto driving through South Jacksonville neighborhoods looking at potential home buys. We turned a corner onto Brenda Drive where I suddenly notice a tall lanky young boy in his driveway dunking a basketball. I blurted out to my newly made acquaintance, "Stop the car!" As I was opening the car door, my wife said, "We need to see some homes and stay on schedule." I said, "I'm sure there are many houses in this town but this kid is about 6'6" and I doubt there are many of him."

I approached the lad sticking my hand out, "Son, I'm the new JHS basketball coach, Mel Roustio, what's your name?" Greg Havlin was his answer as he confirmed 6'6" and made my day with the word 'sophomore.' We eventually bought a home in that neighborhood and our son, Steve and Greg would become the dearest of friends...like best friends.

Greg was a talented athlete. Outstanding basketball scorer, excellent high jumper and a dynamite soccer goalie with catlike reflexes. Greg was charming, likeable, high strung, sensitive, spontaneous, fun loving, impetuous, emotional and sometimes immature with choices. I saw in Greg and Steve two talented sophomores who could be cornerstones building a basketball program. Steve was a slick ball handling guard who could single handed negate a press defense and Greg was poison at the offensive end with slick scoring abilities.

After a sub par first year, I was looking for improvement the second year with Greg and Steve. Hope would go down the drain. Early season Greg had a melt down with one of our assistant coaches. He seemingly accepted his discipline but suddenly, He chose to quit the team. Three different attempts were made by three different coaches to keep Greg in the locker room that night and talk about his decision. He would have none of it. He left. My heart sunk. Greg was told that he would have to live with his decision. Later, Greg wanted a 'do-over.' We told him, "No." My heart sunk more.
Greg returned his senior season and led our squad to a winning season. He and his best Friend Steve would graduate and attend Parkland College where they played on a successful Juco team. Later both returned to Jacksonville (Greg playing at IC and Steve at MAC).
Many years later, Greg was a married father of two and a very successful businessman. He stopped by my house on one Jacksonville visit. Before he left that day, Greg hug me hard and with tears in his eyes he spoke these words, "Coach the choice to quit years ago was dumb but you putting your foot down not allowing me to come back that year was a lesson-changing moment...I love you and Gerry." I will always have a special place in my heart for that first Jacksonville player I ever met.