From The Victoria Advocate

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/adv...0d1893a57.html


Bob Gillis was putting gas in his truck shortly after reading an online message from his church when an idea popped into his head.

Gillis spent 37 years in the coaching profession before retiring in 2015, and hasn’t forgotten about the importance of the relationship between a coach and his players.

Gillis returned to his El Campo home and began writing a letter to Texas High School Coaches Association President Joe Martin stressing the need for coaches to bring some hope to athletes while they are sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our coaches can be a positive, steadying voice for our kids,” Gillis said. “It took me about two days to write that thing. I didn’t want to sound like I was trying to preach to anybody, I didn’t want to sound like I was trying to dictate anything. It was just a message of what I really believed.”

Martin appreciated Gillis’ thoughts, but had a request. Martin wanted Gillis to videotape the message so the coaches association could post it on social media.

“That’s kind of out of my comfort zone,” Gillis admitted. “Somebody asked me how many takes it took and I said it just took one.”

Gillis’ words were straight from the heart. He wanted to show that coaches were sincere when they talked to their players about dealing with adversity.

“Some of our kids especially nowadays, the one positive thing they may have in their lives could be just someone just reaching out to them and saying hello or how are you doing,” Gillis said. “Knowing that they care — I think that’s where our coaches come into play. Ninety nine point nine percent of those kids know even though a coach may be tough on them and get after them a little bit and make them do some things they may not want to do, they know they love them. I think that’s huge.”

Gillis is currently working for Houston orthopedic surgeon Dr. Walter Lowe, visiting with coaches around the area about sports medicine.

Since the virus began spreading, Gillis has spent a majority of his mornings delivering medical supplies to hospitals and clinics.

He applauds coaches around the state for doing their best to reach out to students online.

“Now more than ever with all this going on and with all the uncertainties at least this is a little bit of normalcy as much as can be normal,” Gillis said. “I know our coaches are doing this.”

Gillis had a 173-60-2 record during his 21 years as a head coach at Columbus and El Campo. His teams made 14 playoff appearances, and he led the Ricebirds to the 2012 state final.

Gillis was the athletic director for the Victoria school district from 2000 to 2002, served as president of the THSCA in 2008 and 2009, and was inducted into the THSCA’s Hall of Honor in 2014.

Gillis has no idea when athletics will resume, but expects coaches and athletes will have a different outlook when they return.

“There’s going to be some change obviously,” he said. “When all this ends it will be a new normal. I think when all this ends, people will appreciate some of the things they’ve got to do a whole lot more than they used to.”

Gillis recently visited with former Cuero and current New Caney coach Travis Reeve, and they agreed what the country is experiencing will have an affect on virtually everyone.

“A lot of times in any profession there are good things and bad things about the job and you may gripe a little bit,” Gillis said. “But I bet you it makes our coaches especially appreciate working with these kids and what they do a whole lot more. Hopefully, something good comes out of this and that’s the good part.

“I think for our kids it’s just going to be pure joy when they come back,” he added. “We always talk about being part of a team, but I hope this really makes them want to be part of a team and doing everything for their teammates and put words into actions.”