In response to the news that West York's Terry Bupp has likely coached his final game as football coach at the high school, we received this poignant letter from one of our readers....
I was saddened to learn recently that Coach Terry Bupp is retiring at the end of the current school year. It has little to do with the fact that he has developed the West York football program into a perennial YAIAA contender. I don’t really care how many county championships have been won, nor how many district playoff games West York has qualified to play in during his tenure.Rather, it is due to the compassion he showed to a player that he had for less than one season, and one who never saw any playing time when the outcome of a game was still in doubt. That player was my son, Mark.
Mark was encouraged to join the football team during his sophomore year in the fall of 2001. Having never played organized football prior to this, he lacked the necessary experience and knowledge of the game to earn meaningful playing time. He did, however, actively participate in all practices and other game preparations. There is no doubt in my mind that he felt as though he was truly a part of the team. This was a very significant time in his life and I know that he truly enjoyed the experience. Although Mark didn’t play much, his mom and I went to all the games just to see him be a part of the team. Midway through the season, he broke his ankle during practice, yet he remained a traveling member of the squad. That was Mark’s first and last year of football and he did not attend West York for his junior or senior years.
Tragically, Mark died suddenly on May 28, 2004, just one week before his high school graduation. Since that time, we have spent countless hours looking at pictures of Mark’s life and have created an electronic photo collage in his memory. Pictures from his time with the football team became very special to us. During this past summer, I e-mailed Coach Bupp to see if it would be possible to get an old West York jersey with the number 75. It was our hope to display the jersey on a wall at home.
Coach Bupp took the time to call us during the week leading up to the opening game of the season this year. He made arrangements to get a No. 75 jersey for us and allowed us to pick it up during halftime of the first game. He also took the time to talk with me prior to meeting with the team at halftime. He spoke with compassion and caring as he remembered Mark. It is something I will never forget and will always appreciate.
When a parent loses a child, one of the fears is that, over time, they will be forgotten. My son was not a star football player. He didn’t help West York win games and wasn’t there for Senior Day. He was on the team for one season four years ago. Yet Coach Bupp remembered.
Sincere thanks, Coach Bupp. Good luck and God bless you.
PHILIP BAUER
YORK
Leave a comment