Saturday, March 24, 2012

Two teams honor late Beckman coach Bob Day

It would have been just the way Bob Day would have liked it.

Hundreds of track and field athletes from Woodbridge and Beckman gathered at Woodbridge Thursday afternoon under sunny skies to remember the man who touched so many lives.

Athletes from Beckman (left) and Woodbridge pause for a moment of silence in memory of Bob Day.

TIM BURT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A moment of silence was held for Day, the former Beckman track and field and cross country coach, before the main events started in the Pacific Coast League meet. Woodbridge went on to win both the girls and boys meets.

"We are going to terribly miss him," Woodbridge track and field coach George Varvas told the athletes. "But the impressions he's left with us will never go away. Our friend is not with us, but he's up there and he's getting everybody in shape and everybody running."

The Beckman athletes and the Woodbridge athletes bowed their heads in memory of Day. Day had been an assistant coach at Woodbridge before starting the Beckman program in 2004.

Day, 67, died of bladder cancer last week.

While these have been tough days for Day's family, Day's wife of almost 18 years, Jenny, seemed moved by the support.

"I think Bob is certainly here in spirit," Jenny Day said. "He would like nothing more than to see all the kids here be highly successful at whatever they do and whatever they choose. He's with the good Lord. He loved them all.

Jenny Day said the family has received tremendous support from the community, she said.

"There has been such an outpouring," she said. "People can't do enough for our family. I have a huge thank you for the entire Woodbridge community and Irvine in general because everyone who knew Bob, really wants to continue his spirit and continue the love that he had for the high school kids and the high school sports of cross country and track and field."

It was clear that Day had quite an impact,

"When I was on the football team my sophomore year, he would always try and recruit me," said Khodadad Kia, who competes in the shot put and was also a standout football player with the Patriots. "He would say, 'come throw the hammer.' In my sophomore year, I didn't do it, but I finally did my junior year and I remember his face. He was so happy.

"It was cool to have a coach who you didn't even know respect you and have that happiness that you're participating in a sport he loves. He was just a great coach.

Another Beckman athlete, Jeremy Caothien, who competes in the discus, said Day wanted to help all athletes.

"Coach Day always pushed everyone," he said. "He was in charge of running, but he always pushed jumpers, throwers, everyone. He always wanted people to break records and have the school go forward.

"It was nice for both schools to celebrate his coaching and his career."

The Beckman athletes, and new coach John Goins, will try to continue working hard as Day would want.

"What a beautiful day and it's great that George (Varvas) did this," Goins said. "I know that Bob got his start here so you want to talk about a homecoming, it's really nice. The kids are excited and I think they're going to go out and do what they can for him in his memory."

Goins didn't know Day, but he knew all about him.

"I've been at Beckman for four years as an assistant varsity basketball coach and I would always see him in the spring and fall and he always had a smile on his face," Goins said. "I never even got a chance to introduce myself. He was always zipping off to something else, but he always had time to say hi.

"When he passed, it was a sad day. That shows what an affect he had on them. I'll do what I can to try and at least keep it going."


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Source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/day-345951-coach-beckman.html

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