I am so grateful for all I learned from Coach Cecere. I had him for Breakfast Club - an alternative gym class that met at 6:45, a bleery-eyed hour before school began. Nobody could get our day started and amp us up that early as well as Coach Cecere. He opened our horizons, teaching us things that most kids only read about, or saw on tv -- things like ballroom dancing, golf, and fencing.  These were activities that seemed reserved for grown-ups and the wealthy, but he recognized the importance of introducing young adults to these things. As a result, hundreds of students who took this class over the years have grown up with a head start -- a little more cultured, a little more well-rounded, and a lot more open-minded. I didn't fully appreciate these gifts at the time, but in the years following, I came to be so grateful for his lessons; not just for the techniques and strategies of these sports and activities, but for the positive mind-set that he instilled in each of us. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life," Coach would always say. I don't remember many quotes by heart, but this one has always stuck with me, because it's positive, hopeful, encouraging, and strong -- just like Coach always was.