Comments on: Column: How Coaching Changes Lives

By: Dr Jeff Harmon

Dr Jeff Harmon — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:16:53 +0000

John, I enjoyed reading your article very much. Your physical description of our friend “Mac” was spot on, and made me laugh. Even though our lives crossed paths with Mac in different decades, it was easy to picture him in my mind hitting grounders to you and your teammates many years ago. I was also coached by Mac in my younger years, and even though the coaching was not in baseball, his effect on my life was profound also. Mac was recently awarded a lifetime achievement award by Oral Health America for his selfless work in providing dental care and hygiene education for underprivileged children across America. It is an achievement that was well deserved and I know that it is only one of many humanitarian awards that Mac has received in his lifetime.
I met Mac while I was a student at Southern Illinois School of Dental Medicine. While getting to know him over the course of several rounds of golf, he “coached” me about the importance of giving back to those less privileged. It was a life lesson that I will never forget. In fact, Mac inspired a golf tournament at SIU which bears his name: The Mac MacKenzie Prophy Cup Challenge. This tournament has helped raise money for SIU-SDM educational endeavors as well as funds for the dental needs of children in the metro St Louis area.
My life, like yours, has been changed by coach Mac. His spirit and enthusiasm for life and will always be with us.

By: James McKenzie

James McKenzie — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 01:44:13 +0000

Thanks for bringing back such great, distant memories! “Coach Mac” is my father, you may remember the scrawny goalie & 2nd baseman that went to King Elementary & was your teammate, Jimmy McKenzie. Your story brought my father to tears. It would probably amaze you, how many lives that my father has touched, in a positive way. Particularly since December 30, 1990, when he received a heart transplant at the University of Arizona Medical Center. He received a “Hon Kachina” award, given to only about a dozen people every year, as the top humanitarians in the state of Arizona. I saw you on a tv show last year on Big 10 Network, about the UM/ OSU rivalry. If you feel inclined, please e-mail me back… I remember you as the funniest kid on both my Little League & Hockey teams. Best regards, Jimmy McKenzie jimmck@cox.net

By: Pam Daugavietis

Pam Daugavietis — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 13:54:43 +0000

Great article, John! You are such a superb writer of real stories, real people. I love your writing and your message. I’ll be sharing this with my sons, who were both baseball players in high school and college now grown with kids of their own and still big baseball fans!