Why do coaches coach? Commander of USS Abraham Lincoln gives reason
Dan Keeler, the new captain of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, called up his football coaches from his days at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High earlier this week, along with his English teacher, to give them a salute for the impact they made on a teenager now in charge of one of the Navy's most powerful ships.
The speech by Keeler on Wednesday in Coronado at a changing of the command ceremony offered the real reason coaches coach and teachers teach — to make a difference in a student's life.
'I learned more about hard work, grit, determination and how to handle pain, honestly, from this group,' he said.
He recalled when Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney gave him a recommendation letter for the Naval Academy: 'Coach Rooney, when you handed me the letter, you said, 'I think you're going to be good at this,' and you were right.'
Keeler added, 'There were plenty of championships, but I don't think that's how these people measure success. I was a very mediocre backup quarterback and defensive back. If I was playing in a football game, we were winning by a lot.
'Those metrics of winning and losing weren't the only things that mattered. They were important. These educators took all the time to get the best out of their students and I was one of them. They saw something in me and chose to make a positive impact, and I am forever grateful.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Sellout crowd parties as Bayern beats Boca 2-1 to advance to Club World Cup Round of 16
From the moment the Club World Cup draw was announced last winter, one group stage match that jumped out was Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium, two of the most decorated clubs in the world, steeped in tradition, backed by passionate fans, in a city that loves a good late-night soccer party. A sellout crowd of 63,587 was on hand Friday night for the clash of continental giants and they got a thriller that ended in a 2-1 Bayern victory after Michael Olise's game-winning goal in the 84th minute. Olise, the English-born midfielder who plays for the French national team, had an Olimpico goal nullified in the early minutes of the game after VAR ruled there was a foul on the play. But he was able to get on the scoresheet late and secure the win, which pushed Bayern through to the Round-of-16. Bayern was the first of the tournament's 32 teams to reach the knockout stage. Boca's royal blue and yellow outnumbered Bayern's red, and the fun-loving Argentines serenaded their heroes, bounced, and waved their arms in unison from the first whistle until the last. It was the first sellout crowd so far in this Club World Cup. The Boca fans booed loudly during Bayern player introductions and for the second time in a week, Hard Rock Stadium looked and sounded like La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. The deafening chants of 'Dale, Dale, Boca' surely were ringing in fans' ears as they headed to the stadium exits. Bayern entered as strong favorites after a ruthless 10-0 thumping of semi-pro New Zealand club Auckland City in its opening game, while Boca was determined to get in the win column after a 2-2 tie against Benfica. Harry Kane, the English national team captain, was not among the Bayern players who scored in the opener, but he struck first on Friday in the 18th minute and raced to the corner to celebrate. Bayern, unfazed by the loud pro-Boca crowd, dominated play during the entire first half and had a few other scoring chances, the best after a strong run by Coman in transition, leading to a pass to Olise, who was unable to get it past Marchesin. Boca was fortunate to be down just 1-0 at intermission. The second half was a different story. The Argentine club stepped up, spent much more time in Bayern's half of the field, and got an equalizer in the 66th minute on a blistering golazo from Uruguayan forward Miguel Merentiel. Boca's fans went wild, many of the men took off their shirts and waved them wildly as the players celebrated on the field. Bayern players anticipated a physical, spirited game from their Argentine opponents. 'You don't come across these kinds of games very often at the European level, where the opponent is so aggressive,' Serge Gnabry said in the lead-up to the game. 'But we have to hold our own and concentrate on our game. Then it'll be a game like any other. The stadium will be very loud, it will be a great game. I'm a big Boca fan.' The Argentine club was missing Ander Herrera and former Inter Miami defender Nico Figal for Friday's match, as both were handed four-match bans by FIFA Disciplinary Committee after being red-carded during the opening match against Benfica at Hard Rock Stadium last week. Spanish midfielder Herrera, who had been subbed off due to an injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after arguing with referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to Benfica. Figal was ejected in the 88th minute on a flagrant foul on Florentino Luis. Figal later issued an apology to fans on his social media channels. The only previous official match between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors was on Nov. 27, 200, in Tokyo, Japan, in the Intercontinental Cup. Bayern, coming off a Champions League title, won the tense match 1-0 on a goal by Samuel Kuffour in extra time.
2 hours ago
British and Irish Lions lose their Australia tour warmup to Argentina
DUBLIN -- First, the good news for the British and Irish Lions: They didn't appear to suffer any tour-ending injuries against Argentina on Friday. The bad news: They lost to Argentina 28-24 in the warmup to their nine-game tour of Australia. The result, humbling for now, will be regarded as a minor setback, maybe even an inspiration, if the Lions go on and win the three-test series against the Wallabies. The Lions led the Pumas for only 12 minutes in the entire match and had two prime attacking chances in the last four minutes. But their lineout maul was stopped in its tracks, then a Lions penalty in front of the posts was overturned due to a neck roll by Tadhg Beirne. 'We weren't as consistent as we would have liked to be. We only showed glimmers of what we can do,' Lions captain Maro Itoje told broadcaster Sky Sports. 'When we were on it, we looked good, we just need to do it more consistently. Argentina showed us where we are lacking. I am happy we had a hard-fought game. We live and learn. This is only match one.' Despite a training camp in Portugal that was meant to help cement combinations, and nine English starters, the Lions still looked less cohesive and determined than Argentina, which was missing a dozen front-liners and had only two proper training runs. The Pumas beat the Lions for the first time in a history between them that goes back to 1910. They also warmed up the 2005 Lions in Cardiff, and suffered heartbreak when Jonny Wilkinson landed a penalty in the 87th minute for a 25-25 draw. No draw this time. The Pumas were ruthless with their chances, and matched the Lions with three tries. Two tries from inside their own 22 were the game's highlights. The Lions enjoyed majority possession, had the better scrum, and gave away only five penalties but they forced too many passes and the Pumas defense was outstanding. 'You can't win a test with that error rate,' Lions coach Andy Farrell said. "We lost enough balls in that game for a full tour, throwing balls that weren't on. They were hungrier than us with the ball on the ground. 'There was good and bad throughout. We were just a little bit off, I take responsibility for that. I hope we are better off for that.' The Lions were nowhere near their test side. Few players from last weekend's finals of the English Premiership and United Rugby Championship were involved, and only six of the 16 Irish players. But the Pumas were understrength, too, for a match outside the test window. Argentina scored the first points, a Tomas Albornoz penalty, and the first try, finished by wing Ignacio Mendy from an Albornoz miss-out pass to fullback Santiago Carreras in a gap. Meanwhile, the Lions had two tries in the first quarter ruled out for knock-ons but Bundee Aki finally got their first touchdown when he busted through three defenders. The second quarter was all Argentina. Albornoz kicked two more penalties and converted his own injury-time try for 21-10. The Lions didn't protect ruck ball in the Argentina 22 and Rodrigo Isgro and Carreras set Albornoz away in an 80-meter counterattack. The Lions rubbed out the deficit thanks to the forwards. A penalty try from a lineout maul also sent Pumas prop Mayco Vivas to the sin-bin, and the Lions used the man advantage to give Beirne a converted try. But moments later, an Isgro aerial catch started a sweeping counterattack involving Albornoz, No. 8 Joaquin Oviedo, debut starter Justo Piccardo and Matias Moroni that was finished by a swan dive from Santiago Cordero. Even with 22 minutes left, the Lions could not find a reply. The first game in Australia is against the Western Force in Perth in eight days.
Indianapolis Star
3 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Five-star safety Joey O'Brien commits to Notre Dame football, joining Maryland prep CB Khary Adams
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football's 2026 recruiting class continues to fly high in the national rankings. Friday evening, June 20, the latest nonbinding commitment came from five-star safety Joey O'Brien of La Salle College High School in suburban Philadelphia. Rated 30th overall and fourth nationally among safeties, per 247 Sports Composite, O'Brien had the Irish in his top four along with Penn State, Oregon and Clemson. "I'd trust Coach Marcus Freeman with my life," O'Brien said at his announcement, which was carried live on YouTube. "He's the type of dude I want to go to battle for." The 6-foot-3, 185-pound O'Brien, who also stars at wide receiver, took his official visit to Notre Dame last weekend. Flanked by his parents and sisters, O'Brien said he gave the Irish his commitment on Wednesday night, June 18. "It was really a hard choice for me, but that last visit really pushed everything over the top for them," O'Brien said. "I like to win. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be fighting for a spot as soon as I get there." Earlier Friday, the Irish secured a commitment from four-star cornerback Khary Adams of Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Md. Rated No. 36 overall, Adams chose the Irish over offers from fellow finalists Michigan, Oregon and Penn State. Adams is taking his official visit this weekend. On Wednesday June 18, Notre Dame added a commitment from O'Brien's prep teammate, Wyndmoor, Pa., offensive tackle Grayson McKeough (6-foot-7, 275 pounds). McKeough is a three-star prospect with significant upside. With first-year general manager Mike Martin leading the recruiting operation, the Irish moved past Texas A&M on Friday and trail only USC in the latest national rankings for the 2026 cycle. Martin's predecessor, Chad Bowden, jumped to the Trojans in January. At 6-foot-3 and 182 pounds, Adams has reportedly flashed 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash and has been clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters. Only O'Brien and edge rusher Rodney Dunham (No. 15 overall) of Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., rank higher in the current Irish 2026 signing class. In late April, Notre Dame secured a commitment from four-star safety Ayden Pouncey (No. 139 overall) of Winter Park, Fla. Three-star cornerback Chaston Smith gave his commitment last Dec. 1, and the recent additions have only added to the pipeline of talent flowing into defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Mickens' vaunted secondary. Commitments won't become official until the early signing period opens Dec. 3-5.
