The
following quote was on the wall in the dining hall at the USOC. I am a great
admirer of Jesse Owens. He was a real classy person, who knew racial prejudice
of the worst kind, but did not let it embitter him, instead he turned it into a
positive and was role model for races and creeds during his life. My first week
coaching at Santa Barbara High School in 1969 he came and spoke to our track team;
this quote was part of his message. I think it is a message we need to take to
heart.
“Awards
become tarnished and diplomas fade … What is a gold medal? It is a trinket, a
bauble. What counts my friends, are the realities of life. The fact of
competition and yes, then great and good friends you make.”