In our society, reaching middle age tends to bring lots of talk about “bucket lists,” the dream list of things we want to do in our remaining years if we somehow manage to find the time, money and energy necessary to do them. Look forward, the advertisements encourage us. There’s still plenty of life left to be lived!
I think it’s great to look forward, but it’s equally important as we hit aging milestones to look back at our accomplishments and celebrate them. This week my godfather, Morgan Wootten, turned 85 years old. I would like to take this opportunity to reflect back on the things he has accomplished in his life.
Morgan has done so much for so many people, while also sacrificing in his own life. He was a teacher and coach for more than five decades, though he is most well-known for his tenure as the head basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, MD.
There is not enough space on this blog to list all of Morgan’s accomplishments as a basketball coach. I’ll leave it at this: in 2000, Morgan was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame, one of only 3 high school coaches to ever be granted that honor.
Morgan changed the lives of every kid who played for him, both on and off the court. His focus as an educator and a coach was always on developing character more than wins and losses. He taught students from every background, from poor orphans whose school could barely afford to provide them any gear to the top recruits in the country. Yet he wanted the best for each and every student, and he worked hard to make sure that they would all gain something from his teaching even if they did not go on to play professional basketball.
“People ask me all the time: how good is this team going to be? I tell them: come back in 20 years when I see how these players turned out as people.” – Morgan Wootten
He used his considerable influence to host the best basketball camps in the country every summer. Big-time college and even professional players would come to speak at these camps and inspire thee young men to be the best they could be.
Countless kids came out of these camps and went on to play at higher levels. Some of them didn’t make it to the next level, but they all came away from the experience as better people.
He was my father’s lifelong friend and they served as the best man at each others’ wedding. He was someone you could count on at any time. I know many of his students looked up to him as a father figure. He has been a great husband and father to his wife and kids, as well as a wonderful godfather to me.
God blessed Morgan with a tremendous amount of talent, and we are so fortunate that he used his talents for making this world a better place.
Happy Birthday Morgan! Here’s to many more!
Have a great weekend,
Ro