It's 'When the Magical Warriors Move On' That Hit You the Most. Rest in Peace Coach Lofton. Your Impact Is Impossible to Put Into Words.

When you're a teacher, you learn the power of fellow educators who have the biggest impact on the lives of kids. You also see the importance of community leaders and coaches that dedicate their lives to them, not only in sports, but in the larger picture of their lives. I often present on the idea that youth are like koi fish, and they are always in search of the individuals who will feed their souls. When you enter a school, you easily can find the spaces where young people go to find safety, advice, support, and nourishment. This is how I met Coach Lofton. In my early years in Connecticut, I connected with Bassick High School and worked in classrooms on literacy initiatives, including the delivery of Kwame Alexander's The Crossover. This was before the Newbery medal, and in recognition that Kwame wrote a book young people needed. 

Coach, along with then art teacher, Kathy Silver, felt the same. They got it. They understood the importance that schools and stadiums have for the well-being of the students. We had an idea, "What's your literacy wingspan?" where we recruited players from Bassick High School, as well as Coach Sydney Johnson and Fairfield University athletes to do the same. The premise was simple - what if we challenged kids to read as many books as they could fit wrist to wrist? What would happened if athletes promoted reading with younger kids?

Coach Lofton stepped up immediately. I watched the magic Silver (Yellow) and her work husband, Bernie, accomplished. Sports, Words, Art, Leadership, and being the village for as many young people as possible. 

That is why I felt a 2x4 hit me across my head when I learned of Coach Lofton's passing. He was preparing to head to the gym for another generation of athletes, dedicated always to his mission and purpose with the Bassick Lions.

It's been a few years since I was fortunate to work with the school, but so much of my Connecticut welcoming arrived as a result of the team back then, their art teacher, and their coach...one camera and a neighborhood. 

I am paid now to write about schools, teachers, classrooms, and projects that work, and the difficult thing has always been in naming, labeling, and categorizing the very thing that makes learning magical. A mentor once told me, "All the research on what works often boils down to a personality of a particular leader, and those leaders are rare to find." I remember that, because both Kathy Silver a Coach Lofton had the magic. They had the hope that all schools need: a love for kids, an investment for a better tomorrow, and a dedication of time and their personal lives to get them there. 

I'm sad for the Bassick family today, as there are numerous generations impacted by Bernie's departure. Often, the behind-the-scenes work goes unnoticed and overlooked. I know, however, from my time working at the school, there was a wonderful coach that did what he could to keep his team and students in the school focus on their future.

You've deserved the wings, sir. It is a terrible loss for all who knew you.

I suppose middle-age is getting used to such news...such storying...such impact on how important the good ones are.

But my day is uplifted knowing you modeled the best ways to support kids.