| munki |
09-01-2007 01:08 PM |
A lil good from tragedy
http://www.ocregister.com/news/bousq...709-ryan-coach
Another fallen comrade downed to young... I'm getting sick of funerals, no one else is allowed to die for a while.
At least some good has come from his passing...
Quote:
ANAHEIM - The Esperanza High School cross country team was jolted by the death of assistant coach Ryan Bousquet this week. To help cope, the team is dedicating its season to him.
"He had high expectations for us and we just want to exceed those expectations and dedicate the season to him," said David Cummings, a 17-year-old senior on the team.
The team, made up of about 50 cross country runners, will wear a black ribbon on their uniforms with Bousquet's initials.
To honor his memory, the school has set up the Ryan Bousquet Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded to a cross country senior.
Donations to the Ryan Bousquet Memorial Scholarship can be sent to 1830 N. Kellogg Drive, Anaheim 92807, attention David Green.
For more information call 714- 779-7870, ext. 7228.
Kyle Cox, a 16-year-old junior at Esperanza, said their coach loved them and wanted them to do good this year: "He was a really good coach to us and talked to us after every practice about coming together as a team and wanting us to do our best."
The team is practicing and running well using the lessons and inspiration Bousquet instilled in them.
"He always told us to embrace the pain and cherish it and find a reason to run," Cummings said.
Bousquet knew all about running. He was a star athlete at Esperanza, from which he graduated in 2000.
As a senior, he was the nation's fourth-ranked miler and left his mark at Esperanza when he ran a record 4 minute 6.97 mile ? a record that still stands.
The name Ryan Bousquet became legendary in Orange County sports and California, but especially at Esperanza where he returned to coach a few years ago.
Coach David Green, who coached Bousquet in high school, said his high-energy and intensity kept the kids motivated.
"That guy was a believer. He was a strong believer and it was contagious," Green said.
His coaching and enthusiasm led the team to win the Sunset League in 2006, making it the first title they won since Bousquet was a sophomore.
Bousquet, known as the "rock star of cross country" because of his tattoos and Hollywood look, connected with the kids instantly.
Green said his team was devastated after learning about Bousquet was killed Monday morning when his motorcycle went off the road and slammed into a metal guardrail.
"I gave them an option to go for a run, go home or talk and they all went for a run," Green said. "That tells you the desire Ryan put into this to make better athletes and stronger people."
"Every kid on this team will be a better man for knowing Ryan Bousquet," said Mary Cummings, a teacher at Esperanza whose son is on the cross country team. "His legacy is not going to be in his athletic awards, it's going to be on the inspiration he gave the kids and the impact he made on their lives."
|
|
