Honoring Coach Daney

Coach Daney (center) with his wife Paulette (to his right) and family at the hall of fame induction

I had the chance to visit the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin this past week. My youngest accompanied me, so I had a traveling buddy. It has always been my style to have a child at my side at conferences and business trips.

We were there to support a local elder, Mike Daney, as he was inducted into the North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame for both his achievements as an athlete and as a coach.

Like Henry Rono, who I shared about a few blogs ago, Coach Daney is a legend and someone who we are fortunate to have as a part of our Albuquerque community. Hailing from the Choctaw Nation, he has been a mentor to thousands over the past five decades, coaching 41 All-Americans through Haskell Indian College and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI). His unwavering commitment to provide opportunity for Indigenous athletes to excel at the highest levels is incredible.

As we entered the ballroom where hundreds gathered to celebrate the hall of fame inductees, you could feel the power in the room. Tribes across North America represented, with sports ranging from rodeo to rowing, from boxing to wrestling.

The Twitter hashtag for the room would have been #IndigenousExcellence.

Coach Mike, like the teacher he is, continued his teaching during the weekend.

He gave generously.

He did what many servant leaders find so hard – accepting accolades and praise for his accomplishments. The night before the ceremony, he texted, “Honestly, I didn’t think this was going to be that big of a deal. But, I’ve changed my mind.”

But the most excited I saw him the entire weekend was not in receiving his award, but in rushing about the room to tell people who had been his heroes how much they meant to him. Here he was being inducted into the hall of fame, and his biggest joy was celebrating the greatness of others.

 (R to L) Coach Mike, his coach Jerry Tuckwin, and Brent Reiter, who ran under Daney as who was also inducted into the hall of fame this weekend.

To recap the teachings: give generously, accept praise and celebrate the greatness of those around you.

Mike, we celebrate your induction into the hall of fame. We are honored to learn from your words and example.

Keep running. For health. For life.

And tell everyone you pass on the trails of the Bosque that they have just crossed paths with a hall of famer. 😊

Our daughter Sihasin and Coach Mike. He gifted her the turtle and she gifted him the self-portrait