Many people who are treated for cancer follow a routine — home, treatment, work, home. Rinse and repeat. That was the case for Florida Atlantic University (FAU) baseball coach John McCormack when he was getting treatment for a neuroendocrine tumor — until one day when he could not get a ride home.
John lost weight, had no energy, and was unable to drive a car during his cancer treatment. He was feeling useless, unengaged, and completely dependent on others. His wife, also an FAU employee, had been unable to pick him up that Friday in January when practice had been cut short due to rain.
Drained of strength, John nonetheless responded to the team's call to offer some thoughts during its weekly post-practice workshop. John started talking and the players rallied around, reminding him why he was a coach.
"I felt really good about it," he said of the discussion. "On the way home, I called my mom and said, 'Mom, I found my purpose again.'"
Having worked with players since becoming a recruiter and assistant coach for FAU in 1991, and then FAU's head baseball coach in 2009, John remembered that his job is not only to teach fundamentals of America's favorite pastime, but also to help young men get through college and have a good life.
"Baseball is the easy part," he said. "Life is the hard part."
John's story is personal to me. I've known him since we were competitors on the diamond when I played for FAU and he played for nearby, what was then the College of Boca Raton, and is now Lynn University. We have been friends since our final year at school. We share the philosophy that whether in real estate or sports or something else, everything we do is relational, not transactional.
John is extending his mentorship to Chiseled listeners. So, after you're done listening to this week's episode, if you're looking for more information about cancer treatment or if you have a talented athlete at home, feel free to reach out to John at FAU. He says if he can help, he will. You can find his information on the school's website.