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WebNews #37; Tenth Anniverary Special, Thursday; September 19, 2013

A Tribute To Coach Jim Faulk - eMail

08/31/2013

From: Gerald F. (Jerry) Merna
To: David Feliciano, Webmaster, St. Agnes Alumni website (www.stagnesalumni.org/)
Subject: A Tribute To Coach Jim Faulk - Pictorial

You asked if I could prepare a pictorial story about our legendary St. Agnes’ Coach Jim Faulk for inclusion in the special Anniversary Issue of the St. Agnes Alumni Assn. website. Here is what I have been able to put together considering time restraints and adequate background material that I hope is what you had in mind.

There are so many stories, tales, legends, rumors and other forms of writings that have been printed or told in one form or another about our respected, renowned and celebrated Coach Jim Faulk that it would literally take a “book” (or two) to capture them all. Though there is a “scarcity” of pictures of Coach, I have been able to come up with a few.

There was so much more to this man known by many of us who came before, during and after his time as the St. Agnes Coach or Athletic Director that perhaps will never be told in full, though I have tried to tell as much of his “story” as I could, mostly by using any and all “writings,” news clippings/articles, tributes, etc. by Alumni and others that speak much better and in more detail about him than I could attempt to write. The memory of Coach Faulk more than deserves to have this “accumulation of items” put together in one place so that everyone can recall him vividly, including those who may never have known him personally, and appreciate the dedication, trust, devotion and sacrifices this man, and his equally devoted wife, Elizabeth M. (Betty) Faulk, made on behalf of all St. Agnes “House’s Kids.” As a result, this “Tribute” may be a bit long because I am including those writings.

So in effect I am “grateful” to you asking me to do this, forcing me to do something I always planned to do but just never got around to it. Let me also note that it would be extremely difficult to fully and/or accurately “credit” every single person whose pictures, comments, material or other info I have used herein, but where possible I have attempted to do so. I hope no one is offended if I did not accurately or failed entirely to acknowledge their contributions, but Coach knows who you are, and he’s smiling down on all of us.

And I’m sure there will be some Alumni who may not entirely share the same feelings about Coach that so many of us do, for a variety of reasons, and they are always welcome to express those feelings. Most of us came from one of the two other “Homes,” St. Dominic’s in Blauvelt and St. Agatha’s in Nanuet where we completed grammar school before arriving at St. Agnes for our high school years, some for “Shop” at St. Agnes and most of us going to Tappan Zee High School in Piermont, and as a result we have memories of a variety of experiences, including some of less than stellar treatment. Athletes in particular are prone to question the “coaching techniques” Coach may have used and interpreted some of it as “harsh.” I recall something your Brother Pete wrote about this, saying, “All good coaches resort to methods that push you the limits to allow you to perform at 110% of your abilities. It is this “extra push” by the Coach that usually makes the difference in a tight game. Coach Faulk was a very great and extremely effective coach—guys who understood what he was doing really did look up to and admired him.” So many of us also followed Coach into the Marine Corps and learned quickly when those same techniques ”bestowed” on us in boot camp or Officer Candidate School made us the best Marines we could be, to ensure when the call to battle came, we would be ready! None of us are perfect—some of our individual experiences with Coach and some of the Nuns who cared for us are understandable, but I feel it would serve no useful purpose to elaborate on any of them.

If I had more time and additional resources, I could have done a better job, but here it is. Good luck with your “Anniversary Issue” and warm regards,

GERALD F. (Jerry) MERNA