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Do you know how many things have happened since Barry Jacobson became head coach at Downers South in 1984?
Well, let's see (even though I was only in first grade, but still remember the pain Steve Garvey caused to me and the Cubs that fall)...the U.S. has had four different presidents; Michael Jackson used to be cool; only one of Elizabeth Taylor's divorces took place since then; the IHSA created a state tournament with 98 teams in 1988, which now stands at 355 teams and soon-to-be three classes in the latest AYSO format; the same U.S. family invaded Iraq not once - but twice; newspapers didn't cover preps in print back then, then they did and now (I plead the fifth); the Berlin Wall came down; Y2K; 9/11; and the Cornerkicks blog was born.
All these things, and the man doesn't look a day over 30 - unless he's stressing about the Cubs.
And come Thursday, Jacobson will have an opportunity to do something no other girls soccer coach has done in Illinois - record career win No. 400.
But...(there's always a 'but' on this blog):
Before everyone says it's about the kids and this that, sit back down. Yes, it's about the kids, but not this Thursday.
When Downers South hosts Oak Park, it's all about Jacobson. It's a moment to realize how much time and effort this man has given to the Mustangs' program and the sport. Do you realize how the game has changed since 1984? Not only that, but how today's player and parent are different from those back in 1984?
I listen to editors tell me how we should write about kids, blah, blah, blah. I know, and I agree. But if Downers South wins Thursday, who knows if we'll ever see another girls soccer coach in Illinois win 400 career games? We live in an era where few people stay at a job long - in any industry.
That's something the Downers South administration needs to realize when it decides to name something in Jacobson's honor. Here's a piece of advice - save the money and return the cheap, boring plaque.
This is something bigger than a congratulations and handshake - it's history in the making.
- Joe Trost
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