Poland Middle School teacher writes book on encouragement

Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

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Poland Middle School teacher, softball coach and pastor Reid Lamport published a book on the power of encouragement, a philosophy he passes on to his students, family and everyone he meets.

Poland Middle School teacher writes book on encouragement

By Robert Guttersohn

rguttersohn@vindy.com

POLAND

While prepping for hip- replacement surgery, Reid Lamport, 59, swam laps in a pool at the YMCA.

During one lap, the Poland Middle School teacher of 25 years and coach to the newly crowned state- champion softball team received a divine message: Write a book.

“It was very specific,” Lamport said. “I was supposed to write a book on encouragement.”

After the surgery, he went home and told his wife, Michele, they needed to buy a laptop. After three years of typing out the manuscript, out came “Unleashing the Power of Encouragement,” a book, he says gives readers practical ways to encourage others.

“Encouraging is one of the few things that feels good and is good for you,” he said, sitting at his desk inside his middle-school classroom. “It can never hurt.”

Authoring the book also changed him as a coach, teacher and husband.

“I think that’s one thing that is missing from many marriages,” he said. “I thought I encouraged my wife until I started writing and researching this book. But it really made me take a step back and take a good look at, truly, what I’ve done.”

Lamport said he was mostly sarcastic toward her, “and I felt convicted.”

Coaching provided the author with practical examples of the encouragement’s importance well before the manuscript was a gleam in his eyes.

“That’s part of the job as a coach,” he said.

Jenna Modic, a senior next fall and third baseman for the softball team, remembered Lamport’s prep talks before the games.

“He was always full of high energy,” Modic said.

In 2001, the first time the Poland softball team went to the state championship, the opposing team had bases loaded with two outs. The batter hit a ground ball to the pitcher. Instead of throwing to first for the final out, she threw home to a catcher who was looking toward first. The runner scored, and Poland lost.

“I still love you,” Lamport remembered telling the 16-year-old pitcher.

“The last thing you want them to do is feel that glaring error. But, heck, there were 100 things that happened earlier in the game. They think it’s the worst that’ll happen to them, but it’s not.”

In “Unleashing the Power of Encouragement,” he writes that as coach he often gave the opposition too much credit — thereby discouraging himself. But when focusing on past success, it suddenly raised confidence in himself and his team

“Now, as the encourager and the motivator of my team, I’m able to convey an attitude of confidence to them as they run out on the field,” Lamport writes.

In this year’s district finals, the team was down by one run in the last inning. Lamport huddled the team together before they took their last at bats.

“We all just need to keep playing and stick together,” Modic remembered him telling the team.

They went on to win that game en route to becoming state champions.

And encouragement has helped a good friend of his pass through a recently difficult time — Jim Tressel, whose endorsement coincidentally appears on the back of the book.

“During this whole time, it’s been crazy,” Lamport said. “As soon as it broke, I emailed him a number of scriptures that hopefully helped him a little bit.”

The teacher is retiring after 37 years in special education. He plans on preaching full time at Church of the Rock in Poland, traveling with his wife and speaking on the power of encouragement.