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Since 1979 I’ve coached at North Attleboro. Every year there are athletes who teach me new lessons, or reaffirm old ideas. From time to time I’ve been known to tell these stories. Over the next few days I’ll relate a few. Not only are they fun for me to relive, but they also serve as examples to others who may sometime find themselves in the same position.

Melissa Golembewski graduated in 1986. Having been successful as a junior, setting the school high jump record and also being an accomplished hurdler it was easy for me to picture she had found her niche. I assumed she would be happy senior year to jump higher and hurdle faster.

So I was surprised early season when she came up to me and asked if there might be a chance for her to run the 4X100. Having known her well and feeling comfortable about the way she would handle my comments I was very blunt. “You’re not fast enough”, was about all I said. I wasn’t trying to be harmful. It was just that we had what was probably already the fastest 4X100M in the state without her.

I thought the issue was at rest. Coach had spoken! And in the ensuing weeks the relay proved to be all it was supposed to be as they set a State Coaches Invitational meet record.

Melissa surprised me again near the end of the season when she wanted to run the 100M in our last dual meet. I said sure, but we were going up against a weak team and we weren’t going to run up the score. So I told her she would have to skip the 100Mhurdles and run the B heat of the hundred. I was running a couple of my 4X100 people in the B heat anyway. I was actually surprised when she said OK because it was giving up easy points and she was nearing the 200-point mark.

Melissa proceeded to make my life more difficult by running 13.1 and tying my other two relay members. Sure she proved she was as fast as two relay members, but she hadn’t proven she was better and it was a little late in the season to switch out someone who was burning up the state with another who hadn’t even been taking handoffs.

But providence was on her side. Her opportunity came in the state finals. We had won the class meet with our regular team but would not have one of the members the next week. I gave Melissa her chance.

In her first 4X100M relay the team won the state championship with a state record time. That was a fitting end to a day when she won the state high jump title and was third in the 100MH. After an off week placing 2nd in New England they (and she) came back the next week to win the Eastern States Championship at Hofstra University.

Melissa didn’t give up on her dream when I said no. She could have just walked away from it. Others would get mad and give up. She hung in there and continued to try to prove herself. And once given the chance she made the most of it.

Rejection is a hard thing, be it in track or anyplace else in life. But belief in self, as demonstrated by Melissa, is a powerful tool. It can drive someone to work harder and to persevere. Believe in yourself!