Ryan M. Gray was born and raised in San Mateo, CA and currently resides in San Francisco,CA. He attended the College of San Mateo out of Aragon High School before transferring to the University of Hawaii on a football scholarship. Aside from his day job as a commercial real estate mortgage banker, he is the Director of Football Operations at the College of San Mateo. You can follow him on twitter at @theryangray
I am who I am because of athletics. My confidence, work ethic, determination and ability to excel under pressure all stem from the lessons I learned on the playing field. I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for sports and I wouldn’t have made it through the many challenges I faced if it weren’t for my Dad. Through all the triumphs and defeats, highs and lows, successes and failures, I could always count on one thing… the support of my Dad.
My Dad was there to celebrate the victories, but more importantly he was there to pick me up after the defeats. He taught me the importance of pushing through adversity regardless of how difficult it was or how much I wanted to quit. For all the times I felt like hanging-up my cleats (and there were plenty), he always found a way to put things in perspective and motivate me to work harder. Looking back, every achievement I accomplished on the field had a major obstacle to overcome. If my Dad wasn’t there to guide me through those tough times, my athletics career would have been cut short and I would have missed significant life lessons and memories.
For all the amazing things my Dad did, it was really the things he didn’t do that made him so great. He never put any pressure on me, never tried to steer me towards or away from any particular sport, and never yelled at me or the refs or coaches. My dad was just always there to support me.
Rain or shine, win or loss, good or bad… when I walked off that field he was there with a hug, pat on the back or rub on the head. He picked me up when I was down and rewarded me when I was up. Every goal I scored, touchdown I caught or home run I hit… he was there with a $5 spot. Soccer season was very profitable.
When the day comes that I too am a Dad, I’ll be there for my kids the same way my Dad was there for me… with open arms and a smile.
