By Mark Jerger, York High School Class of 1982

Editor’s Note – Mark Jerger ran for York High School from 1978 to 1982. In his senior track season, Jerger won the 1,600 meters at the IHSA State Track & Field Meet. He was also on two York State Championship Cross Country Teams in 1980 and 1981. The 1981 squad is one of top team’s in the school’s history. They scored only 44 points.

A public service for coach Joe Newton will be held at York High School in Elmhurst, Ill. on Saturday at 2 p.m. CST. 

The 1981 team was truly blessed to have survived 4 years without a single loss to an opponent.  As one of the fortunate members of “The Wild Bunch”, I feel particularly obliged to express my personal thanks.  I suspect and hope that my thoughts are shared by anyone who has been through the infamous “25 quarters” practice under Coach Newton. 

1 - Thank you, Coach, for that lump that started to form in my stomach just after lunch on the day 25 quarters is scheduled.  I realize that there is no avoiding the inevitable and that my fate is sealed for the day.

2 - Thank you for the sense of abandonment when I gaze out the window of my last period of English Literature class, only to see the menacing Midwestern storm clouds moving further away, erasing all hope that a tornado might knock down the high school causing cancellation of the 25-quarter workout (or even better a translation of the workout into “parloff” relays in the mud).

 3 - Thank you for the lively lecture at meeting.  While analogies about “foot pounds of work” and “money in the bank” were metaphors to carry into financial decisions, I have to admit I was more motivated by the “bird dog in heat” analogies at that time of my life.

4 - Thank you for convincing us of the value of running in a pack.  This made us feel stronger than each of individually and taught us how living and working with crazy people can actually produce positive results.

5 - For allowing me to experience the concept of altruism –by feeling its utter absence as I watch the teammate in front of me absorb the final 10 seconds of drinking fountain time, leaving me with no opportunity to drink.  I will remember this type of “teammate” as evaluate who I want to work with in later life.

6 - A special thanks to the sock manufacturer for cutting the cost of my socks by reducing the amount of elastic in the band.  The bunching in forefoot of my shoe and resultant blister will cause me to reflect on cost-down opportunities with overseas contract manufacturers.

7 - For teaching the value of time.  I have been able to amaze my wife and daughter with a unique and uncanny ability to estimate 45 seconds in my mind with amazing accuracy.  Actually, still searching for valuable use case for this one. 

8 - Thank you for letting us know that the rain that is making our shoes feel like concrete blocks is really just “liquid sunshine”.  I think about this when I look at the arm of my rain-soaked suit jacket before entering a boardroom in Tokyo.

9 - For helping us learn the words to “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” and “Stick Like Glue” and how they apply to ordinary life activities.  Without Coach Newton, we certainly would have missed the learnings of this entire genre of music.

10 - For demonstrating that no matter how hot, how wet, how dark, a green knit cap and sunglasses are fashionable.  

11 - For keeping us “safe” in the confines of the front circle.  Spending hundreds of hours circling this irregularly shaped mud circuit prepared me for the harshest working conditions I encountered when I lived in Asia.

12 - For closing the gaps of understanding left by my biology class— I had never before thought about the purposefulness of “tits on a bull” –and how they could relate to the human species.

13 - Giving me the lifelong opportunity to ponder about how an ass can actually suck buttermilk (and why it would want to). 

14 - For letting us experience true compassion.  Through name calling and fist fights, knowing that the guys in your group will determine your collective failure or success helped us learn that 1+1 can be far more than 2.  

15 - For helping me to appreciate how the perception of time can change.  How the rest interval of 45 seconds seemed to get incredibly shorter was a good lesson about how time is perceived to get faster as we age.

16 - Thanks for teaching us how to work within teams.  Skills acquired in negotiating with “fliers” to stop pushing the pace have helped me to survive the workout and served to help me navigate with the “Type A” executive.

17 - For explaining the concept of “mind-over-matter”.  Knowing this allowed me to realize that the small red stain forming on my shoe near my little toe was probably nothing which will prevent me from maintaining a healthy marriage was, at one time, consoling. 

18 - For teaching us how to correctly pronounce each other’s names and the significance of getting that right.  Only Coach Newton could have known that “Fosberg” should be pronounced “Fosdick” or that successive children in single family could best be referred to by number, as in “#1”, “#2”, “#3”.   The importance of respecting the name has served me well in my international business activities.

19 - For helping us understand that the Fanta Orange was worth staying in the top 10 for an entire season of workouts and meets.  Even today my wife is confused why I freeze up when I see a person purchasing a Fanta Orange from a vending machine.

20 - For detailing the physics which argue that the honey bee isn’t supposed to be able to fly.  I heard scientists are close to communicating this information to the honey bee and looking forward to how it reacts.

21 - For telling us the story of the poor Northwestern return team dude (Eddie?)

22 - For not noticing that Pete Dunham was hiding behind the monument.  Pete was really a sprinter, so he deserved a break.

23 - For introducing us to Parloff Relays.  I don’t think I will ever laugh harder than I did when we were blessed with a reprieve day of Parloff relays and watching the incredible energy and madness released into a wholly ungoverned, no holds barred, all-team relay in the mud.  Not sure how this translated to help me in life other than to make me remember the playful spirit that remains in everyone (which can be revealed in a round of Parloffs).

24 - For proving to us that tying a necktie is not beyond the capabilities of high school students.  Fortunately, I haven’t been in need of this skill too often in my career.

25 - And finally, thank you for the opportunity to be challenged by you.  In the 30+ years I have been away from this workout, I can honestly say I have never faced a challenge that is more ominous and immutable which provided me with more satisfaction in learning about myself than 25 quarters.

In Japan they say time rounds sharp corners.  25 quarters remains sharply ingrained in my mind and, fortunately, for all of us who worked through them, in our collective history.  I would go as far as to suggest that those who endured these workouts developed a physical and mental confidence to help them face any life challenge. 

Allow me to share another more personal memory. 

It is about 30 minutes after the finals of the mile run at the State meet in southern Illinois.  I had won the event, culminating almost 5 years of training under Coach Newton and I was enjoying a shower in the Eastern Illinois University locker room while chatting with a couple of other athletes from other teams.

Coach Newton storms into the locker room yelling “Where the hell is Jerger?”  When he sees me he continues, “What the hell were you thinking about.  You were behind your splits and didn’t have the balls to make a move from the half.   Jesus, God, Jerger, you should have run 4:07, if you weren’t such a chicken ($%&@#)” (York Alumni, you have an idea what Mr. Newton said).  Get your shit together and get in the van. We’re heading out.”

Coach storms out leaving me standing alone with a soggy towel and an internal smile that has lasted a lifetime.