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Below note posted 11/2/2008

It is with immeasurable sadness and grief that I must tell you that my partner, my dear friend, my brother in so many ways, Larry Brooks, was tragically killed in an automobile accident at 9:00 am on September 30, 2008.

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In this hour of great tragedy, I have endeavored to write a few words that might honor my friend and tell you all a little more about him. They are unworthy, of themselves, of such a man, but they make up in sincere love for my limitations as a writer.

        A great man once passed this way. He will pass this way no more.

        And make no mistake; LARRY BROOKS was a great, great man. 

Unfortunately for many, they only knew Larry as my partner and my friend, the guy who was always there with me, never out in front of the crowd, but always there. And, if that was the only way you knew Larry, you missed so very much about a man who stands as the epitome of what all coaches should strive to be. Like all of us, Larry loved competition and the continuing opportunity for the kids and coaches to measure themselves against a higher standard. But far beyond that, Larry loved the kids themselves, and the opportunity to help them achieve their dreams. He saw each and every kid as a unique, special individual striving to meet a challenge, and that was all that was needed to gain Larry’s love, his respect, and his assistance. And there was never a man who so freely gave his love to kids as Larry Brooks.

I sit here and think back over nearly twenty years of friendship and coaching together, and I am washed over by this incredible mix of emotions; I remember all the great times we had together and wonder if I even want to coach any more. I feel so empty without Larry here to share every little experience with me. Coaching and teaching in a gym with me has to be one of the most difficult experiences a person can have; I am always in the middle of everything, and being there with me can consign my fellow coaches to a role of satellite. That never happened to Larry; he went out and made his friends in gymnastics everywhere, not as “the poor guy stuck working with Bill”, but as this amazing person who you HAD to have as your friend, because he was such a unique source of fun and energy and happiness.

I can think of one coaching experience that really tells the story of Larry Brooks. In 2007, we were at the Bryan Invitational with our Level 5 boys; Reed Crowe was there with a huge team from Crenshaw’s, and he had just found out that the coach who was to be his assistant for the meet would not be there. We had a small team, so Larry went over to Reed and offered to help him out. From that moment on, you would have thought that Larry had been coaching those kids for years. He was all over the place, with encouragement and “high fives” and helping Reed keep the group organized and ready to go, then popping up with our team and encouraging them and making sure they never doubted his love for them, then back to the Crenshaw’s team and getting right in the thick of things with them again. He was physically exhausted when it was over, but I don’t think I ever saw him have more fun at a meet. He was amazing to watch, but I know he was at his happiest, because he had the chance to energize and motivate and help so many boys.

Larry has a family that is as remarkable as he was. His wife, Terry, is one of the most loving and generous people alive. She is his perfect match, a devout Christian who lives her life every day by the tenets of love and generosity taught and exemplified by Christ. She is a woman who has given her all to others, without reservation, and has been a friend to everyone. Together, they raised three of the most exceptional children I have ever known. Nick has the qualities of both of his parents in equal measure, and is my student, my teacher, my friend, my fellow coach, my equal, and the man now stepping up to take all the things that Larry and I both hold most dear far beyond what we achieved. Erica is a beautiful young woman who shares all the best attributes of her mother, along with some of that special zest for life that was Larry. Finally, there is Chris, the amazing, wonderful young man whose energy and personality seem to brighten the lights every time he walks into a room, a man whose personality is so reminiscent of his father, and whose love for everyone is so much like his mother. And finally, there is this old friend named Bill, who never felt older than he does tonight, who the Brooks’ took in and made an extension of their family and a part of their future. They were always there as I lurched from health crisis to health crisis, always there when I was tired or discouraged, always optimistic that we would continue to share a great life together. We made Houston North Gymnastics a family business that loved and cared for our families. That will not change, even though we have lost one of our family.

Larry was my “Jiminy Cricket”, from the old Pinocchio movie. I would get all wrapped up in the program and the rules and the procedures, and Larry was always there to remind me who I really am and why I teach and coach. For him, it never went beyond the kids, each and every one of them. He always reminded me that that was WHY I work so hard and fight so hard for the principles in the program. And he would bring me home to my roots, and re-energize me to go on.

I sit here and I wait for the door to open and for the sound of his voice, knowing that it can only be heard in my mind. Our dream of someday, years from now, sitting together in the cool of the evening, reminiscing about the struggles and triumphs and great times we shared, has been tragically ended. But Larry’s is a voice I will hear for the rest of my life, always reminding me that, after all the work and effort and struggle, it’s always and only, all about the kids.

And lastly, most sincerely, I weep for the kids, who have been deprived of the opportunity to be touched by this truly great man.

Houston North Gymnastics
11037 FM 1960 Road West, Suite D-1
Houston, TX 77065
281-894-8400