His First Coach

I had the chance a while back to speak with Bill Squires, the legendary coach of the Greater Boston Track Club. Coach Squires told a story about his mother, who he claims was his first coach. This is both a historical and fitness lesson, Squires mother, practicing thrift, used to rent the cheaper houses.
In the days when Coach Squires was young, that meant the top of the hill, not the bottom, like today. Consider this, in the days when the streetcar and train were the normal transportation for the common man, once you left the streetcar, you had to hoof it. The result was that the higher up the hill you lived, the longer (and harder) your walk.
By living at the top of the hill, the Squires got more house for their money, and young Bill got a better workout. During his school's lunch break, the coach would often run home, setting a base for his fitness that would stand him in good stead when he began to compete. The man who was to become coach to so many played many sports, including football. Of course, football, in those days, was a very different sport, with players playing both offense AND defense.
Thus, when Coach Squires says his mother was his first coach, he's only half joking.