Volunteers And A Good Friend Score Big With Coach Zalenski

E-MAIL THIS

PRINT THIS

MOST POPULAR

PDF VERSION

XML VERSION

Linda Kor
    Former Northland Pioneer Coach Richard Zalenski was thrilled by a visit from close friend and head coach Tim Grant along with his first year soccer team recruits from Southwestern Assemblies of God Uni-versity in Waxahachie, Texas.
    Grant and the students spent one day last week painting Zalenski’s house, pulling weeds and doing what they could to spruce up the property.    
    Zalenski, fondly known as Coach Z, was head coach at NPC for eight before suffering a disabling stroke in 1998.
    “I was in a coma for nine and a half weeks, and every day Tim would come to my room to say a prayer over me and kiss my lips,” related Zalenski. “My mother was there and told me that he was the best friend I could ever have and she was right.”
    Zalenski and Grant were fierce competitors while Zalenski coached at NPC and Grant at American In-dian College in Phoenix. “We were very competitive on the court, but then we became best friends,” stated Zalenski.
    Grant brought the recruits as part of the university’s objective to help students keep perspective. Each year the new athletic recruits take a week to volunteer service to people or organizations in need.
    “The students are taught that Christ-like service is the priority over athletics, no matter how good they are at their game,” stated Grant.
    The athletes, who also provided a soccer clinic for kids in Crownpoint, N.M., prior to coming to Hol-brook, headed back to Texas last week, leaving behind an appreciative Coach Z and a fine example of serv-ice to those in need.