‘Be the best you’: Coaches Rutschman and Casey speak at St. James benefit
By Kirby Neumann-Rea, McMinnville
N-R/News-Register, 5/3/2022
Coaching
legends Ad Rutschman and Pat Casey shared their formulas for success in
athletics and life to a packed house during Saturday’s (April 30, 2022) crab
feed and wine dinner benefiting St. James School.
Rutschman
is a four-time national champion and Hall of Fame coach for Linfield College
(now university). Casey coached three Oregon State University baseball teams to
national championships. Both spent decades coaching college football and
baseball.
“My
feelings on building people, and the reason that I’m here tonight, is that I
believe very strongly in it, and I believe every one of you is in the same
position, of building people,” Rutschman said. “There is a strong correlation
between self-esteem and success. My number one job has always been to build
people.
“Hard
work does not guarantee success, but I tell our players all the time that hard
work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard,” he added. “If you don’t work
hard, someone with less talent is going to take your spot. That was the case
with at least one player on every one of our championship teams.”
Casey
stressed the impact of leadership.
“For
31 years I was blessed” as a coach, Casey said. “I found out that average
players want to be left alone, good players want to be coached and great
players want to be told the truth. Life is about truth. There is no in-between.
Relativism exists only because we allow it to exist. This life we have been
given is a gift, everything we have is a gift of God; how we live it is a
choice, and our job is to inspire somebody else to do something they think they
cannot do.”
The
fundraiser, held at The Grand McMinnville event center downtown on Third
Street, included a live auction to raise funds for St. James School. In
attendance were Casey’s brother, Chris, who coaches football at George Fox
University, and parents Fred and Beverly Casey of Newberg. Pat noted how his
parents grew up in McMinnville and his father attended St. James School from
1941-49.
The
event passed its $50,000 goal, meaning a donor will provide a $50,000 match, according
to event chair Steve Bernards.
“The
community stepped up,” Bernards said, “and I can’t say enough about the
wonderful messages of our two speakers, about how to live one’s life.” Bernards
expressed thanks to volunteers including community members and St. James’
parents.
Bernards
said the crab feed met one financial goal but “it’s one area of a bigger goal”
— $500,000 to support capital improvements at the school, which was built in
1950 and needs upgrades, including window and carpet replacement, insulation,
and a new heating-ventilation system.
The
event succeeded “because of a lot of people with one thing on their mind, the
education of children,” Bernards said.
Both
Rutschman and Casey stressed the needs of youth during their talks.
“Young
people are starved for someone to tell them the truth,” Casey said. “All
leaders have to work, and dream and pray. I prayed every night and in the
eighth inning I really prayed,” he joked, pausing to allow the laughter to
subside.
“Everyone
of us has the opportunity to impact someone else’s life, every day, and we miss
that opportunity because we miss saying one word, or a pat on the back, or one
word to challenge somebody, and to tell the truth.”
Rutschman
said, “Work ethic: to me it has not changed, but I am concerned about that with
our young people. I do not see the same work ethic today than when I was
growing up.
“I
say this to a lot of our players and students, ‘don’t be so concerned about
being the best, but be the best you.’
“Not
everyone can be the best, but everyone can be the best you.”
