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TwitThisA Perfect Match
Charlie Kane was 58 years old that spring afternoon in 1994, and he had lost a sense of purpose. His two older children were out of the house, and his youngest, also named Brian, was about to leave to join the Marines.Kane had served a hitch himself in the late '50s. His ambition, however, was to be a high school teacher and track coach. Eventually he earned a master's, and put in 13 years at schools in New Jersey doing what he loved best -- teaching young people how to read and how to run.
But after a bitter divorce in the '70s, Kane, given custody of his kids, moved to California to make a fresh start. For two years he was a coach at a junior college. Needing a higher salary, however, he then signed on as an editor of technical manuals. Homesick for the East, Kane eventually returned to New Jersey in 1994 and took a proofreading job. It paid the bills but didn't give him any deep satisfaction. Coaching was what both he and Brian needed.
Yet, perhaps because he was the child of divorce, Brian resisted his new coach. Soon after they started working together, Brian entered two distance races at a recreational meet in his hometown of Parsippany Hills.
"I want you to go out easy," Kane told him, "slowly pick up speed, then hammer home on the final lap."
When the gun went off in the 800 meters, Brian tore out like it was a sprint. In the last 100 meters he ran out of power and was beaten. Kane was furious. "Are you going to do it my way or yours?" he demanded. Brian didn't answer.
In his next race, the 1600 meters, Brian again charged to the front, but then, either tiring or relenting, he dropped to the rear of the pack. On the last lap, with power in reserve, he overtook the field -- and won.
Panting, he trotted over to Kane and announced with a smile on his face, "Your way!"
They met at the track every day after work. Days became months, and then years. When he was 13, Brian won junior cross-country events with fast, finishing kicks. "Hammering it home," is what Kane called it. "Someday," he told the boy, "you'll be a contender for the U.S. Olympic team." To show his pride, Kane gave him a running shirt with bold letters reading "The Hammer."
Brian's self-confidence grew, but Sue still worried that she wasn't doing all she should for her son and daughter, Jennifer, a year older. After her divorce, money was tight. She worked as a bookkeeper for a landscaping company, but for two months each winter the operation closed down and she had to go on unemployment.
Kane wasn't banking much either, so he talked to Sue about his moving in with them and pooling their resources. "You have a deal," said Sue. "You're part of the family anyway."
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