When I was a Junior, Coach sent myself and all of my teammates a letter while he was gone (I can't remember why he was, it was in the middle of the season) with a quote from Ronald Reagan titled "Lessons in Character." Below the quote, he wrote this:
"Fellas...There's no magic, just honesty. Honest Effort, Honest Commitment, Honest Communication, and Honest Love. In this we honor each other and those around us who shape us and uplift us. Know that I'm praying for you (individually) and as a group, daily. Know that I love you all, individually and as a group."
He then wrote me a little note after, and had this to say, "Keep giving more than you take."
I held on to that letter to this day (despite the fact that Steel had the worst handwriting I had ever seen). I wanted to remember these words for the rest of my life. I realized then and even more so now, Steel wasn't just a lacrosse coach, he is a coach in life. I stayed in touch with him as much as I could when I left St. Louis and always considered him to be my greatest mentor. I exchanged e-mails with him just a couple weeks ago, and he said, "Persevere and lead brother because that is what you were meant to do." While that still remains to be seen regarding my character, it certainly applies to him...he was meant to be one of the greatest men any of us had ever meant.
To the man who will always and forever be my coach, you will never be forgotten.
Mike Wilcox '04
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