A commentary by a Victoria resident who never had Gary Taylor as a teacher or a coach, but was an ardent fan of the senior boys’ basketball team.
An April 25 letter gently disagreed with Gary Taylor’s statement, as reported by Cleve Dheensaw, that “the gymnasium is the heartbeat of a school.”
Given that Dheensaw is a sports reporter, that his story appeared in the sports section, and that Taylor was best known as a “legendary” basketball coach, it’s understandable that the story would lead with this statement.
But it also does Taylor an unintended disservice.
Gary’s son Graham is quoted in the same story stressing that his dad “wanted students to be active as well outside the classroom. That included sports as well as theatre, music, band and all the other extra-curriculars that he felt were integral to the school experience.”
This theme was repeatedly emphasized by the speakers at the April 23 celebration of Gary Taylor’s life.
I’m willing to bet that Taylor was referring to more than physical education and athletics when he’d refer to gyms as providing the heartbeat for their schools. Numerous special events and assemblies take place in gyms.
During my two years at Oak Bay High School, 1967-68 and 1968-69, there was an ambitious and successful fall fair that included a dunk tank in the gym.
Taylor was among the many good-natured teachers who braved that experience. Yes, his senior boys’ basketball team also played the Harlem Globetrotters in a fundraiser one noon hour.
Most meaningful to me was hearing a young man from Oxfam Canada (I think) speak at a special assembly. His inspiring words motivated many of us to participate in the Miles for Millions march that followed a 25.8-mile route around much of the community in perfect weather on Nov. 25, 1967.
Of the 10,000 walkers who began this marathon, about 7,000 finished. It was not only “the best per-capita response of any city in Canada,” in an initiative endorsed by Prime Minister Lester Pearson, it also raised $109,070.40.
In addition to physical education, Taylor also taught biology, which perhaps helps account for his “heartbeat” metaphor for gyms. But I’m pretty sure he’d be equally comfortable with the notion of heart being a less tangible, more mysterious thing — a spirit that permeates myriad special environments enabling engagement and growth.
In that sense, the heart of a school is the school in its entirety with its many vital appendages providing a wide range of opportunities to meet the diverse interests of students.
Spirit and inspiration run together. They feed off each other. The back of the handout at Taylor’s celebration of life included this quote that speaks to the spirit with which he led his life: “Life is a game — play it. Life is a challenge — meet it. Life is a dream — realize it. Life is a sacrifice — offer it. Life is love — enjoy it.”
