Being a coach, I work closely with my players, and get to know them quite well. A few players I've gotten close enough to, to call friends, and a few of those girls I would call close friends.
One of those players whom I would call a close friend was a 17-year-old young lady named Katie Benjamin. Katie was a very special person. She was killed in a car accident on Tuesday, October 13th.
Katie was the type of person who could win your heart with her smile. Her smile was warm, inviting, and a window to her personality. Katie was one of my basketball players, who I have coached for the past 3 years, since she was a freshman. She was a senior this year.
I don't remember how Katie and I became such good friends. I wish I could. I do know that Katie and I would sit and talk while waiting for practice to start. We would talk about everything. She was very warm and took a genuine interest in what I was saying. Sometimes this is rare for teenagers, who are sometimes less than thrilled to talk about anything substantial to adults, particularly teachers or coaches. But Katie was different.
Katie was loved by everyone. She had hundreds of friends, and was very well liked. She hung with lots of different crowds, and didn't seem to care about a person's background, but looked at the person inside when picking her friends.
Katie was a mature young woman with a bright future ahead of her. What a horrible waste of life. She will be deeply missed by her friends, and her family.
A couple of years ago Katie got herself into something she shouldn't have. Being concerned for her, I took her aside and had a long talk with her. She was touched that I cared. Her response to me was, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Nothing will happen to me." I think she honestly believed that nothing would happen to her. Unfortunately, she was wrong.
I will miss her smile, her warm eyes, her bubbly personality, her lack of grace on the basketball court, her temper when she got mad on the court, her caring for others, and most of all, our talks.
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