This is a continuing series of clients that I truly admire and have made a big difference in my business and my life in general. The first 8 parts of this series have highlighted the following clients and friends: Kasha Bartholomew, Paul Trylko, Casey Leaman, Karen Ganzlin, Mike Klockenga, Tony Budet, Debbie Mitchell and Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith.

Richard “Rico” Grabowski was not a client of mine. He coached junior varsity baseball and also taught English and Psychology at Milwaukee Hamilton High School while I was in high school during 1969-72.

As an educator and coach, he always found the good in me even after a couple of big mistakes. When I was a sophomore, I was playing baseball on the varsity team and misjudged an easy fly ball that led us to losing the game in the last inning. For a 15 year old boy, that was devastating and I felt like hiding in my bedroom the rest of the semester. When I saw Mr. Grabowski the next day in the school cafeteria, he took me aside and told me I was not the only Guy to ever make a big error. He also told me to watch the pitcher’s hand all the way in as he releases the ball to insure I never lose track of a hit ball again.

I never forgot that coaching tip and never misjudged a fly ball again.

He again helped me rebound from a terrible junior year baseball experience of my own doing. I was in a batting slump and the Varsity Coach benched me for one game. My big 16 year old ego could not take that and I quit the team for the rest of the season. When I saw Mr. Grabowski in the the Fall of my Senior year, he told me what I had to do to get back on the team and how to become an all conference varsity baseball player. He told me to hustle like crazy and look like Pete Rose doing it. When I would get “walked” by the pitcher, sprint to first base. When we retired the side and we were to bat, I should hustle like crazy and beat every one of my teammates into the dugout from Center Field (my position). You get the picture and I became just like “Charley Hustle.” I even slid into bases head first.

With a great team during my senior year, we won the Milwaukee City Championship and only lost one game out of 21. Five of our starters made all conference and I was one of them. We had a wonderful team with no weak links with great coaching.

The mentoring takeaway from this is to never give up on someone who is willing to listen and who is willing to change.  You should also offer specific and easy to adapt methods in how the person can become much better and get to the next level.

I was very lucky to have a coach, educator and mentor like Richard “Rico” Grabowski. I was among many that he changed for the good.