Over the course of my four years at Cascade High School, I have had the great honor to receive coaching and community service opportunities from cross-country coach Steve Bertrand. Mr. Bertrand has been a positive role model for me from the start. He has strengthened my mental, physical and even my intellectual capabilities as a student at Cascade. He has also made me proud to be at the school of pride through his encouragement and motivation at every single practice; honor, strength and unity.
As a member of the cross-country team for three years, I have improved from 24 minutes to barely over 18 minutes for my 5,000-meter time from freshman to senior year. To a person outside of the team, my times may mean absolutely nothing. However, to me, they are a valuable gift from my coach that I will treasure. The workouts he had prescribed — intervals, ladders, repeats, hills, tempos — all contributed to my improvement in becoming faster, and made my passion and love for this sport even stronger.
Before the end of my junior year, two of my very close friends and I were selected to lead the next year’s cross-country team as captains. I reflected back on my freshman and sophomore year, when running to me was just a sport. I would always just show up to practice and leave, and that was it. As soon as I got on to varsity my junior year, everything changed for me. The workouts got even more progressively difficult, the brotherhood between the varsity teammates grew immensely, and our relationship with our coach became as stronger than ever. It soon became clear that cross-country was not just about running; it was what you can or do for the community through your running, and Bertrand was there to inform me in what I could do to be a leader in my community.
Being a captain of my final year at Cascade was a true honor, and it would not have happened if it were not for Bertrand. He disciplined me to the mindset of no excuses, and putting the team before anything. There were many events such as team dinners, the scrap metal drive, the Japanese Gulch auction, and the Mike Wilson campaign that benefited the school’s cross country program, but more than anything, it massively benefited the community. We had the privilege to help others, which live in the same community that we live in. The ability to help others and making someone smile is the other gift that I got from Steve.
For example, Mike Wilson, a U.S. history and government teacher at Cascade, took on his goal to become a state representative. Bertrand saw this as an opportunity to help someone. There is nothing harmful or morally wrong about simply helping someone. My friends and I used this to gain volunteer hours to fulfill our government class requirements.
Recently, it has been brought up by certain members in the community that Mr. Bertrand was forcefully imposing his views on his athletes, but the fact is that he is an extremely humble man. He has never made any member of the team do or participate in something against their will. Everyone on the cross-country team was equally treated, and NO ONE was ever forced into doing anything uncomfortable, or something that they personally disagreed with.
Taking away his versatility and ability to coach is not only a loss for him, but for future generations. His legacy is far from being over: He has more teams to send to state championships, he has more opportunities to present to the team about volunteering opportunities, and he has far more years into making not only the school of pride a better place, but the community as well. He is the ideal coach that any school would want, because he knows the perfect medium to balance running, the community and morals. This has lead to many of his successes as a coach, teacher and volunteer.
I would like the Everett School District to reconsider its decision regarding the renewal of Coach Bertrand’s coaching contract.
He has made a leader out of me, and many other past alumni. He is a person that leads by example. He is an essential ingredient to Cascade’s cross-country team; without him, there would never be the same amount of improvement that occurs among athletes that return to the program, year after year. I know for a fact that after I leave Cascade this June and go off to college, I will take Coach Bertrand’s virtues of being limitless, humble, and always helping others when the opportunity is given. These are virtues that need to be instilled in every single person at Cascade’s campus and Coach Bertrand will continue to make Cascade a wonderful place, and make every Bruin proud to be receiving their high school education at the one and only, School of Pride. Thank you.
Ken Tran is a senior at Cascade High School.
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