Farewell: Bruce "Coach B" Baarendse

In a meeting the other day a friend was sharing a story with me of a time when he served as a high school science teacher. He was 19 years old, and so full of passion for science that he poured himself into his work. He taught so passionately, hoping that his students would also become young scientists... They did not, and because they did not he grew frustrated. His mentor, seeing this frustration rising increasingly, said to him, "One thing you have to remember throughout your career is that most students will not remember what you taught them, but they will remember the kind of person you were as you were teaching them."

On Dec. 3rd, 2015, a man who will be remembered for who he was, and the impact he had on people, passed away. His name was Bruce Baarendse, but most of us knew him as "B" or "Coach B." Coach B was a Physical Education teacher at North College Hill. But more than that, he was a good man. In a world in which schools are fractured by the many cliques, clubs, groups, whatever, B had a way of tearing all that down, and making us all feel like we belonged. He believed, ferociously, in the worth of each one of his students.

I played football for B my last two years of school at NCH. I was not a good football player. Indeed, the only reason I played my senior year was because I enjoyed being on B's team. I liked hearing his weird quotes that he would throw out to motivate a bunch of hapless youth. I played because I loved B, not because I loved football. 

There is one story about B that I share as often as I can. In the 2001-02 football season (a year after I graduated) NCH was playing Columbus Bishop Ready, a team that gave us fits for several years. Being a small school, our sideline was always significantly smaller than the opposing sideline. Before the game began our team was standing in the tunnel, waiting to run on the field, when some blowhard saw how outnumbered we were and yelled out, "Is that all they got!" Coach B turned to his team and said, "It's all we need!"

I don't believe he said that because we had Donnie Johnson, Daryl Snow, Dejuan Tribble, and a host of other talented players. I think in his heart he always believed that his players, whether talented or abysmal (like me), had what it took to compete. But not only on a football field, but as dads, brothers, students, employees, executives, teachers, whatever the obstacle was, he believed, and taught us, that we had what it took to make it.

That is why I remember him. Because he was the kind of person that saw the capability that lies within a person. He made you want to do better. I remember who he was, and how he was, with his students. He was a good man, and he will be missed.

Coach B, Requiescat in pace.

Shach Daddy