He’s had to make two big calls after tragic situations played out in front of him on the field of life, and neither was in his playbook.
West Chester University football coach Bill Zwaan had to call his team to huddle up and refocus after a player suicide last year. And now the Golden Rams are trying to rally around him again after he lost younger brother Brian Zwaan to a surfing accident this summer, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Mike Kern.
“We have a really close family,” Zwaan said. “This is the first one we’ve lost. You’re not supposed to lose somebody who’s younger. Yeah, it was hard. Real hard.”
But having those players and fellow coaches gathered around also provides support.
“Having a big family helps, no question,” he said. “The truth is football helps some too. Having something to turn to, it gives me a release. I had to get back to work and get moving. But it’s just so tough to do that.”
Events like those also alter a coach’s perspective, and Zwaan is feeling it.
“It changes me because I’m really reflecting on my life and where I’ve taken it to and how I want it to go from here,” he said. “I know how important coaches are in people’s lives. It’s more than just football. But I guess I’m thinking a lot more about when it’s going to end and when I want it to end.”
Read more about Bill Zwaan and the double tragedy that’s hit his team in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.
