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Senior Airman with the 36th Mobility Response Squadron at Andersen
Air Force Base, Guam, volunteers his time as a football coach to
share his passion for the game and mentor young student athletes.
As the sun hangs in a warm glow over the Pacific island, a group
of Guam High School football players eagerly reach for a chilled
bottle of water as they take a break from football drills at
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
A few moments later, they are
summoned back to the field and queue up to run several yards before
reaching for a wide pass from across the field.
“Good catch!”
compliments their coach with a high-five as he readies for the next
throw.
For almost a month now, Senior Airman Presley
Griffith, 36th Mobility Response Squadron executive assistant,
spends three evenings per week coaching free spring football
training sessions he created in tandem with Guam High School's head
coach, Jacob Dowdell.
“I've played football since third grade
and I realized how important practicing in the spring is to prepare
and get ready (for the fall season),” Griffith said. “When I learned
that students here did not have a training camp yet, I decided to
help out. Now, students get to throw the ball on an actual football
field and run through drills and movements together as a team in
preparation for the upcoming season.”
Growing up in Fouke,
Arkansas, football was at the center of life for the former
quarterback and continues to be a lifelong passion for the Airman.
During his senior year, Griffith's commitment on the field earned
him the chance to attend Football University's Top Gun High School
Camp, an intense training event reserved for top players. He
received pointers and mentorship from experienced coaches, former
NFL players and was also scouted by Southern Arkansas University,
which later offered him an opportunity to join their team after
graduation.
The offer, however, placed Griffith in a bind. A
battery of injuries suffered during the competitive high school
season had taken a toll on the young student, making his decision to
advance into an even more demanding level of the sport a difficult
one.
If he continued his studies to play at the collegiate
level, Griffith recalled, he and his family feared he'd risk his
health and professional future.
“I remember first hearing that teams were interested in me. I was
ecstatic and excited about being able to play at the next level,”
Griffith said. “But when it came time to decide, my mind was in the
game, but my body wasn't. I knew I couldn't go to college and get
beat up like I was in high school.”
Another long-time
childhood dream, joining the Air Force, quickly started to come into
renewed focus for the athlete.
“I wanted to be in the
military ever since I was a little kid,” he recalled. “I realized
that I could join the military and still pursue a coaching degree
and the necessary certifications, all while serving my country.”
His passion to assist young athletes is more than just game
strategy and technical instruction, Griffith said. The students
often look for role models and answers about life after high school
– turning coaching into mentoring.
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Jacob Dowdell, Guam High School head coach, left, supervises Senior Airman Presley Griffith, 36th Mobility Response Squadron executive assistant, second from left, as he teaches a free football spring practice camp June 8, 2015 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Griffith hopes to someday become a high school football coach and volunteers his time to offer an additional pre-season training opportunity to local high school athletes. (U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Alexander W. Riedel)
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“Being a young volunteer coach allows me to work on a
very personal level with the players,” he said. “I was just
in their shoes a few years ago. I get to tell them about how
important and valuable their time is right now, to give 100
percent effort and to also enjoy it every step of the way,
because they are going to miss it later.”
Unexpectedly, Griffith said Air force life offers an
excellent opportunity to advance his coaching experience at
different schools and pursue his education, on his way to
meet his ultimate goal of becoming a high school history
teacher and football coach.
“I realized how much
coaches have helped me grow as a person,” he said. “You
learn a lot about discipline, values and mentorship. That is
my goal in life, to be a high school football coach and to
mentor young athletes.
“The students are the
long-term goal,” Griffith continued. “It's not about winning
every game, but about getting better, fine-tuning your skill
and getting the opportunity to keep playing at the next
level. And we try to make this possible for the athletes
here.”
His assistance is also appreciated by GHS's
coach, who leads the extracurricular training sessions with
Griffith and volunteers additional time with his team.
“Having Senior Airman Griffith out here, bringing his
experience to the team, is something we're very happy to
have,” Dowdell said. “It's all about keeping kids active and
healthy. And it's a community effort. With Griffith leading
this training, you can tell the students respond to him.
They anxiously await his arrival and are ready to work. It's
a real pleasure having him here.”
To be able to meet
with the student athletes after work, Griffith manages a
balancing act between work, taking distance education
college classes and his wife, who is also expecting their
first child.
During duty hours, Griffith currently
assists the 36th MRS commander with any and all
administrative needs. Whether it's processing performance
reports, decorations or handling correspondence and
appointments, he manages the organizational needs for his
office.
While spending several hours conducting weekly
coaching sessions requires careful planning, Griffith's
leaders have been supportive of his efforts whenever
possible, he said.
“Senior Airman Griffith has always
expressed an interest in coaching football,” said Tech. Sgt.
Cheryl Turonis, 36th Wing NCO in charge of the wing support
staff and Griffith's former supervisor. “I am glad to see
that he is pursuing his goal through volunteering with the
Guam High School Football team.”
In the near future,
Griffith hopes to complete his volunteer coaching package,
which would allow him to officially join the local Defense
Department Education Activity's high school coaching team as
an assistant.
“There are plenty of opportunities to
help in the community,” Griffith said. “You just have to go
out and try. It's important to give 100 percent of your
heart. It's going to take some time, but you're going to
help and benefit kids in the future. Just know that they are
going to look up to you and it's paramount to be an
appropriate role model for them.”
Until his next
permanent change of station, Griffith plans to continue
coaching, improving as a mentor and attending the local high
school games.
However, he said there is one downside
to being a football fan on a remote island in the Pacific:
Watching live football broadcasts may turn into an
unexpected challenge as games air with a 14 hour time
difference from the East Coast. Griffith's joy for the game
thus often keeps him up and in front of the TV at odd hours
of the night, as he catches the latest developments in
stadiums half a world away.
“My wife fully
understands my love for the game,” Griffith said. ”She gets
up with me at 4 a.m. on Sunday mornings to watch the games
and understands how much it means to me.”
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alexander W. Riedel
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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