Author John Kerrigan spent decades standing at the edge of courses, tracks and ski trails, watching young people discover what they were capable of. Coaching, he learned, is rarely about the scoreboard. The real work happens in the quiet moments: the early practices, the disappointing results, and the second attempt that nobody expected.

For a Vermont coach, those moments come with a particular backdrop. Cold mornings, long hills and unpredictable weather are part of the territory. They also make an excellent classroom for teaching things that no textbook can.

The Coach Who Also Taught Science

From 1977 to 2023, John taught science at Harwood Union High School in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. Outside the classroom, he coached cross-country, Nordic skiing, and track and field. Later in his career he also worked as an international referee, which gave him a wider view of sport than most coaches ever get.

Teaching and coaching might look like separate jobs, but they share the same foundation. In both, you are trying to help someone improve at something difficult, and in both, progress is usually slower and messier than anyone hopes. A good teacher and a good coach learn to be patient without lowering their standards.

Why Endurance Sports Teach So Much

Cross-country running and Nordic skiing are unusual because there is nowhere to hide. There are no timeouts and no substitutions. An athlete faces a long stretch of effort, and the only thing that carries them through is preparation and mindset.

That is what makes these sports such effective teachers. Young athletes learn quickly that:

Effort is something you control. You can’t choose the weather or the competition, but you can choose how you prepare and how you respond when things get hard.

Pacing is a life skill. Starting too fast ruins a race, and the same is true of a school year, a career or a big project. Learning to pace yourself is one of the most practical lessons sports can offer.

Small improvements add up. Progress in endurance sports is almost never dramatic. It comes from showing up on ordinary days and doing the work.

Character Shows Up When Results Don’t

Any coach can enjoy a winning season. The more revealing test is what happens after a bad race, an injury, or a result that doesn’t match the effort. Those are the moments when athletes decide what kind of people they want to be.

A coach plays an important part here. The way a coach responds to disappointment, by staying calm, encouraging honest effort, and keeping the focus on growth, teaches more than any pre-race speech. Young people remember how they were treated on their worst days far longer than they remember their best finishes.

Stories That Capture the Experience

These ideas run through John’s book, Just Raise Your Left Hand: “Tell Us a Story”. It follows Joe Tepedino, a teacher and coach whose career spans decades of triumphs, setbacks and memorable personalities. Across thirteen interconnected chapters, the stories move between humor and reflection, giving readers a front-row seat to life in classrooms, on sidelines and at competitions.

What makes the book work is its honesty. The stories don’t present a flawless hero. They show the awkward starts, the lessons learned the hard way, and the people who shaped the journey along the way.

What Coaches and Parents Can Take From It

If you coach, the book is a reminder that your influence reaches well beyond the season. Athletes may forget the results, but they rarely forget how a coach made them feel capable.

If you’re a parent, it offers a useful perspective on youth sports. The goal isn’t to raise champions at any cost. It’s to give children a safe place to try hard things, fail, recover and try again.

If you’re an athlete, it shows that a long career, in sport or anywhere else, is built from patience, humor and a willingness to keep showing up.

Final Thoughts

The finish line is only a small part of the story. What matters most is everything that led up to it: the miles, the mistakes, the encouragement and the friendships. Coaching at its best reminds us that effort and character matter long after the final whistle.