Volunteer, former coach throws coaching into gear

By Laura Clark

Published: June 4, 2008

When Kyle Brown picked up a discus for the first time two years ago, volunteer coach Larry Hughes stepped into the circle with him.

“Basically, me and him learned how to throw the discus together,” said Brown, who won the event in districts, placed third in regionals and qualified for state as a senior.

“That’s when we get to laughing in practice,” Hughes, 51, said. “Since no one else knew how to do shot and discus, I volunteered. My whole purpose was to be there for the kids.”

Hughes said he’s still learning a lot about shot put and discus, as much by doing it with the athletes as learning from area coaches and reading about the events.

Hughes track knowledge goes back decades. He started out volunteering with the Lancer track program in the late 1980s. In 1993 he became head coach of the Amherst indoor program and head coach of the outdoor program the following year.

When the policy changed, requiring coaches to be school employees, Hughes stepped down as head coach, but remained as a volunteer.His full-time job is in the trucking industry as an owner-operator.

Hughes, a 1975 Amherst County High School graduate, competed for the track team through high school.

He set six records in his time, but only one remains on the board in the gym he built: outdoor triple jump, 44-07.5. The others he said he coached off the board, which was more rewarding than setting them.

He coached 15-20 throwers this season, a number that used to describe his entire track team. With so many kids, he makes a point of teaching the older athletes first so that they can pass it on to new throwers.

Hughes emphasizes that competing is about personal gain – with a twist.

“If they compete exactly the way I taught them and fail, I take the blame. Anything other than that, it’s on you. If you succeed, it’s because you did it,” he said.

With humor and humility, he has coached several athletes into the top ranks of the Seminole District.

Junior Summer Johnson competed in discus and shot put for the first time since her freshman year. She qualified for state for the first time after taking fourth at regionals in discus.

“He basically just made us do anything he could to get better,” Johnson said. “He’s funny, but then at practice and meets he can get real serious real quick if we’re playing around too much.”

Hughes is serious about the kids leaving with a sense of accomplishment and focus. Of all his stories about high school track and football (as a running back), what Brown says stands out the most isn’t about sports.

“He tells me to keep my head on straight all the time,” he said. “Don’t get caught up in the world too much.”

And lend your talents to others, Hughes said. That’s why he became a coach, and if his athletes went on to do the same, well that would be the ultimate thank you.