He has coached everyone from grade-school girls and junior-varsity boys to awkward high school giants who had to be taught how to dunk. He has coached in a converted church where his team had no bench-warmers because there was literally no room for anybody to sit on the bench. He has coached a team that employed the style of playground basketball because, well, they practiced on a concrete playground.
You can look closely at him and immediately recognize he is a gym rat. He has a faint scar on his forehead from diving for a loose ball. He was convincing enough to be hired to shepherd a young program in a public school that opened its doors in 2008. He was hungry enough that he took the job for a stipend of $2,800 a season.There was no real basketball culture, so he created one, bringing in fundamentals and discipline with a sense of belonging. He immediately announced that the gym was their home and the team was their community, leading to what has become their trademark cheer ...
“He told us he was sick, real sick, and we were like, speechless,’’ senior guard Jonathan Sirait said. “It was heartbreaking.’’“Pretty much everyone was in shock,’’ Rauda said. “To be honest, I still can’t comprehend it.’’ It turns out, what he needed as much as treatment was his team’s effort, its intensity, its togetherness.And they did so, immediately. In their first game after his diagnosis, Roybal beat Contreras 60-39. In their next game, the Titans beat Mendez 82-46.
Sometimes, though, his fight would overwhelm. He once missed a game at Bernstein after a chemo session, handing the leadership to assistant coach Travon White. But when he saw on his computer that they were trailing by a point at halftime, O’Fallon picked up the phone and “FaceTimed” a student manager. She brought the phone into the Roybal huddle, held it up high for everyone to see, and O’Fallon shouted instructions to his stunned team.
BillPlaschke SpecNews1SoCal This just goes to show the character that this coach possess. Never had the chance to meet this coach but hats off to you and your family during your trying times. Best wishes!
BillPlaschke SpecNews1SoCal Please, please, please may his fight be successful.