USC's Tanner stresses importance of education

September 29, 2010

Having served as a coach on five baseball teams representing the United States in international competition, perhaps it should have been no surprise that University of South Carolina baseball coach Ray Tanner was extolling the virtues of the Red, White, and Blue Tuesday night. 

Speaking to an audience of several hundred at the Potential Youth Foundation's Coaches4Character meeting at Redemption World Outreach Center, Tanner said "It is important to realize you live in the greatest country in the world. It is the land of opportunity,"

Tanner, who coached the Gamecocks to the College World Series championship in June, said neither his father or mother finished high school, but that they provided guidance for him. 

"Education is empowering. How many of you young people love school?" Tanner asked. Upon seeing a minority of hands go up, he said "That's what I thought, it's a little bit of a mixed bag. I was there, too. 

"But it's so important," Tanner said. "It's a part of what you do in life. It enables you to have opportunities. ... Is it exciting all the time? It certainly wasn't for me. I can't tell you there was a day when I got excited and said 'Hey, let's go do some English.' "But, I understood it was important, because I listened to my parents, listened to my teachers and listened to my coaches," Tanner said. "I believed in them and listened to them."

"Listen. Take advice," Tanner said. "I know you like to think you have the answers sometimes, but most of the time the people around you care about you and will give great advice."

"I had a good family, good parents, but things didn't go well all the time. When I was a junior in high school, my dad become an alcoholic and my parents split up. There were trials and tribulations," Tanner said. "It was a touch time. I was trying to survive. I wasn't sure exactly which way I should go. But I listened. I listened to my teachers and I listened to my coaches. 

I was able to go to college. I became a statistic. I became the first in my family to graduate from college."

"My point is, I didn't grow up with a silver spoon. I didn't have a lot of things," Tanner said. "You might not have a lot of things. But, you have an opportunity. Life is about choices and decisions that you can make."

"All of you are old enough to understand what is right and what is wrong," Tanner said. "If you can live by that, you have a great chance to be successful,"

Greg Blatt of Potential Youth Foundation said he estimated Tuesday's crowd to be the largest of 13 meetings the organization has had so far. The next one is set for December. 

Rodrick Goss and Griffin Day, both seniors at Hillcrest High, shared The Greenville News Coaches4Character Award.

Tuesday's event was presented by Arizona's Children's Charities. 

By; Rudy Jones -- Greenville News