A Mountain of a Man

I never played under Steel, I only was a manager. I guess that turned out to be a blessing. I could see all the hard work he put into the team off the field, and all the other miscellaneous things only the coaching staff and managers saw.

One of those incidents was before the State Finals in 2005. We had a practice on the field to get ready for the game and Coach had every player sit back-to-back in pairs of two and close their eyes. As manager, I got to see Coach guide all the players on recalling their journey throughout the season. Coach Sennett used the analogy of climbing a mountain to recap the victories and struggles shared by the team throughout the year. This moment was one of my fondest memories of Coach, he ended the meditation, as Coach usually did, with a prayer.

I'll never forget Coach Sennett. I think it's easy for all of us to agree he truly was a mountain of a man. I think, for me personally, the best way to honor him is much like a Zen Saying: "When you get to the top of a mountain, keep climbing!" I think that Coach Sennett brought me to the top of a mountain in how he touched my life, and I know the best honor I could bestow to him is to keep climbing.

Thanks for everything Coach, I'll miss you.

Andy Bauer