Celebrating the life and influence of Coach Terry Kitchen

Last spring I played phone tag with Coach Terry Kitchen, the longtime Cape Girardeau Central High School athletic director, teacher and coach. Kitchen had been selected as the 2018 Semoball Awards Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Though not part of the selection committee, I had the honor of sharing the news with Coach.

We finally connected, and when I shared the good news Coach was nearly speechless -- which is quite the feat since Coach never lacked for words. And he certainly didn't lack for spirit.

He was thankful for the award but added that he had a doctor's appointment coming up. He expected everything to be fine in this post-cancer battle follow-up, but said if the news wasn't good he might not be up to accepting the award. The doctor's appointment went well. Coach, who had battled pancreatic cancer between 2017-2018, had a new lease on life.

Terry Kitchen speaks after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Semoball Awards Saturday, July 14, 2018 at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau. Fred Lynch

Coach made it to the awards show and appeared to enjoy every moment. What a joy it was to celebrate all he had meant to many students. And then there was the speech.

By now you may have seen the full acceptance speech, which is shared with this column on semissourian.com. Thousands upon thousands have watched it since it was posted Tuesday morning.

Early in the speech he thanked his parents -- adding a bit of humor along the way.

In this photo published March 18, 1979, Terry Kitchen looks at the camera during the 1979 season, his second after joining the Cape Girardeau Central High School faculty.

"Raised in South Cape, my dad was a military man," Kitchen said. "[During] World War II he was a Welterweight boxing champ in the Army. Had over a hundred fights. But he comes back home and he sees a good lookin' woman, and it was my mom. And she is a piano-playing Pentecostal woman. So I'm a cross between a fighter and a Pentecostal woman. And there's some spirit still in me that don't stop. There's something that still gets me up out of my seat. Wow."

The speech was vintage Terry Kitchen. Nothing short of giving his best, with enthusiasm, school spirit and faith infusing every second.

Speaking of his faith, he talked about it with boldness, conviction and authenticity. Kitchen was plugged in to his church Christ Church of the Heartland. He even spoke there a few times. Coach loved Jesus and never missed an opportunity to give Him all the credit.

"I serve a God who can't fail," Kitchen said referencing his miraculous comeback from pancreatic cancer.

Some readers will remember Kitchen for his lifelong love of Central High sports. He was Mr. Tiger. Pep rallies became can't-miss events when he was in attendance, dressed in orange and black, and making his entrance to "Eye of the Tiger."

Whether you played sports or not, Coach had a message at the Semoball Awards that transcended athletics.

"This is my own home-grown statement," Kitchen began, clearly primed with an extra dose of school spirit. "I'm not going to the back of the bus. ... I'm going to work my way to the front of the bus. No, I'm going to do more than that. I'm going to drive that bus. No, I'm going to run and own that bus. I can't be satisfied with my performance."

This wasn't about a bus. It was about striving for greatness. About not being satisfied with good enough or second-best. It's an important message -- and one we should all be reminded of more often. Anything worth doing is worth doing to the best of your ability.

Coach left his earthly body on Monday night from the cancer that he valiantly battled. Hearing the news was certainly a punch to the gut. But I couldn't help but rejoice for coach. He gave his best in everything he did. And I'm confident that when he stood before his Savior, he heard the words we should all long to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

God bless the Kitchen family, especially his wife Barbara and sons Tatum and Kory Kitchen. And thanks for sharing Coach with us. We're all better for it.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.