Jon Davidson
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me during this extremely difficult time. Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated more than I can express. I don't know what I'd ever do without such great friends and I hope to never find out.
I want to share with you all what kind of kid Jon was. I don't have a ton of specific memories of Jon, which I deeply regret. I guess I just got so used to him always being around. Of course, the more I've thought about him in recent days, the more I've remembered.
I remember De'Marco pulled up Jon as a freshman to play JV with us. Originally I wasn't so sure he had the chops and De'Marco was just doing it because he was a close friend to the family. I quickly changed my mind. Jon was hands down, the most coachable player I have ever had. He had the right attitude, passion for the game, and wasn't afraid to bust his butt. He was a true gym rat in every sense of the word. We had to work on his mental toughness because he was quick to get down on himself and that would take his head out of the game. He had a hard time refocusing if he made a mistake. That always seemed to be the conversation I had with Jon the most. But he was always willing to listen to whatever we had to tell him. Most of our kids, when they come off the floor make a beeline for the end of the bench. Not Jon. We never had to tell him to come sit between Justin and I or De'Marco and I. He always came and sat right down between us ready to listen to whatever we had to tell him. And when we made him move to make room for the next person to come off the floor that we had to talk to, as soon as that player left the seat, Jon would come right back. Lol, we couldn't forget about Jon if we wanted to- he'd never allow it!
Jon was forever strategizing too. I remember countless times him saying we should do this, that, or the next thing. And he was always so enthusiastic about it too. Because Jon always wanted his team to win. His idea's were usually good too. Many times he'd tell me something we should try and I'd turn to him and say "Ok Coach." He'd just smile back at me.
Jon was a great teammate too. He led by example. He always worked hard. He was never one to dog anything in practice and I respected that. He communicated well to his teammates on the floor. And he was always a positive motivator to his teammates on and off the floor too. He's the kind of player that every coach dreams of having.
He wasn't perfect though. At the beginning of last season he had to sit out three games and a number of practices because he let his grades slip and he was ineligible. I remember how shocked I was. I remembered saying to him "Jon, how could you let this happen???" Him of all people! I just couldn't believe it. Yet he still came to practice every single day. Even though all he could do was sit and watch, he was there with his basketball in his hands watching and encouraging his teammates. Soaking in all he could so that he'd be ready when he got his grades up enough to return. And you can bet he kept up on his studies for the rest of the season!
I coached Jon's older brother Luke when he was a freshman. Over the years, both Luke and Jon worked the Cougar Camp in the summer. Since the Davidson's live so close to me, I would pick them up and bring them to camp with me. When Luke was riding with me I would always have to call him and let him know I was on my way. I swear I was his wake up call because I'd always have to sit out in front of the house waiting for him to come out. And everyday it would be with wet hair all over the place because he was just getting out of the shower. Not Jon, I never had to so much as honk the horn. He was always ready to go as soon as I arrived. That kid just loved to be in the gym. And he was great with the kids too. I was really looking forward to watching him grow up and become a coach. He would have been outstanding at it.
Jon was never one to leave a voicemail either! He'd never hesitate to call one (or all) of the coaches if he had a question about a practice time or something like that. But if he got our voicemail, he'd never leave a message! I remember telling him once that if I didn't answer his call just leave a message so I'd know what he wanted and I'd get right back to him. Even still, he never left messages. He'd just go around calling everyone until he got his answer...
I remember sometime towards the end of last season I received a nasty, sweaty, full body hug from Jon with this great big goofy grin on his face. I can't remember if it was after a game or a practice but all of a sudden he came up to me and wrapped his arms around me. He was soaked and gross and I couldn't get away from him fast enough! It's one of those memories that I really wish I could recall more clearly. I wish I knew if it had been a game or a practice and what the circumstances were.
Really, what I wish more than anything else is that I had the opportunity to make more memories with Jon.
The outpour of love and support for the Davidson family has been like nothing I've ever seen. It's really not all that surprising to me though. Amazing nonetheless. Jon was truly loved by many. Mlive posts obits on line and they attach a guest book to each one. Jon's currently has 13 pages filled with people's fond memories of him, condolences, and thoughts and prayers for him and the family. http://www.legacy.com/grandrapids/Guestbook.asp?Page=Guestbook&PersonID=14730605 Everyone remembers him for his smile and his goofy faces and his ability to make us all laugh. I remember him the same way. A lot of people have mentioned that they never saw Jon in a bad mood. I agree with that 100%. As his coach I've seen him angry, frustrated, upset, and I've even seen him cry. But that all came from his undying passion for the sport of basketball. I never would have seen any of those emotions if he hadn't loved it so much. He took his job out on that court very seriously. And even amongst those emotions, I still never saw him in a bad mood. I admire that about him. I wish I had that ability.
Hearts are broken all over the country, not just GR or even the state of Michigan, by the loss of Jon. To see the way people who loved him have pulled together over these most difficult recent days has been nothing short of amazing. Close to 100 students gathered at Yesterdog with candles and walked to the Davidson's house where they gathered in the front yard. Then they placed the candles in the yard, spelling out "Jon" with them. At the service his classmates and teammates arrived in backwards baseball caps and aviators in honor of his memory. His teammates wore their shooting shirts. Over 300 royal blue wrist bands (like the yellow Live Strong ones) were made up with Jon's initials and his jersey #. If you see someone on the street wearing one, know that that is a life he touched.
If you haven't already, I implore you to read the articles and watch the news clips. Learn who Jon was through someone else's eyes other than just mine. This is a kid who touched the lives of many and while I am certain he will never be forgotten, I still want you all to see for yourselves why he touched my life so deeply. Mostly, be sure to hold your loved ones close and don't ever take them for granted. Life is far too short, especially when the most unexpected happens.
GR Press Article: http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1123253117239580.xml?grpress?NEG&coll=6
WZZM 13 Articles: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/grmetro_article.aspx?storyid=42665 and http://www.wzzm13.com/news/grmetro_article.aspx?storyid=42663
WZZM 13 News Clips: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/videoarchive.aspx "Grand Rapids Teen May Have Died From Bacterial Menigitis" and "Menigitis Death", both dated 8.5.05.
WXMI FOX 17: http://fox17.trb.com/news/080405-wxmi-teen,0,4155835.story?coll=wxmi-default-nav
I want to share with you all what kind of kid Jon was. I don't have a ton of specific memories of Jon, which I deeply regret. I guess I just got so used to him always being around. Of course, the more I've thought about him in recent days, the more I've remembered.
I remember De'Marco pulled up Jon as a freshman to play JV with us. Originally I wasn't so sure he had the chops and De'Marco was just doing it because he was a close friend to the family. I quickly changed my mind. Jon was hands down, the most coachable player I have ever had. He had the right attitude, passion for the game, and wasn't afraid to bust his butt. He was a true gym rat in every sense of the word. We had to work on his mental toughness because he was quick to get down on himself and that would take his head out of the game. He had a hard time refocusing if he made a mistake. That always seemed to be the conversation I had with Jon the most. But he was always willing to listen to whatever we had to tell him. Most of our kids, when they come off the floor make a beeline for the end of the bench. Not Jon. We never had to tell him to come sit between Justin and I or De'Marco and I. He always came and sat right down between us ready to listen to whatever we had to tell him. And when we made him move to make room for the next person to come off the floor that we had to talk to, as soon as that player left the seat, Jon would come right back. Lol, we couldn't forget about Jon if we wanted to- he'd never allow it!
Jon was forever strategizing too. I remember countless times him saying we should do this, that, or the next thing. And he was always so enthusiastic about it too. Because Jon always wanted his team to win. His idea's were usually good too. Many times he'd tell me something we should try and I'd turn to him and say "Ok Coach." He'd just smile back at me.
Jon was a great teammate too. He led by example. He always worked hard. He was never one to dog anything in practice and I respected that. He communicated well to his teammates on the floor. And he was always a positive motivator to his teammates on and off the floor too. He's the kind of player that every coach dreams of having.
He wasn't perfect though. At the beginning of last season he had to sit out three games and a number of practices because he let his grades slip and he was ineligible. I remember how shocked I was. I remembered saying to him "Jon, how could you let this happen???" Him of all people! I just couldn't believe it. Yet he still came to practice every single day. Even though all he could do was sit and watch, he was there with his basketball in his hands watching and encouraging his teammates. Soaking in all he could so that he'd be ready when he got his grades up enough to return. And you can bet he kept up on his studies for the rest of the season!
I coached Jon's older brother Luke when he was a freshman. Over the years, both Luke and Jon worked the Cougar Camp in the summer. Since the Davidson's live so close to me, I would pick them up and bring them to camp with me. When Luke was riding with me I would always have to call him and let him know I was on my way. I swear I was his wake up call because I'd always have to sit out in front of the house waiting for him to come out. And everyday it would be with wet hair all over the place because he was just getting out of the shower. Not Jon, I never had to so much as honk the horn. He was always ready to go as soon as I arrived. That kid just loved to be in the gym. And he was great with the kids too. I was really looking forward to watching him grow up and become a coach. He would have been outstanding at it.
Jon was never one to leave a voicemail either! He'd never hesitate to call one (or all) of the coaches if he had a question about a practice time or something like that. But if he got our voicemail, he'd never leave a message! I remember telling him once that if I didn't answer his call just leave a message so I'd know what he wanted and I'd get right back to him. Even still, he never left messages. He'd just go around calling everyone until he got his answer...
I remember sometime towards the end of last season I received a nasty, sweaty, full body hug from Jon with this great big goofy grin on his face. I can't remember if it was after a game or a practice but all of a sudden he came up to me and wrapped his arms around me. He was soaked and gross and I couldn't get away from him fast enough! It's one of those memories that I really wish I could recall more clearly. I wish I knew if it had been a game or a practice and what the circumstances were.
Really, what I wish more than anything else is that I had the opportunity to make more memories with Jon.
The outpour of love and support for the Davidson family has been like nothing I've ever seen. It's really not all that surprising to me though. Amazing nonetheless. Jon was truly loved by many. Mlive posts obits on line and they attach a guest book to each one. Jon's currently has 13 pages filled with people's fond memories of him, condolences, and thoughts and prayers for him and the family. http://www.legacy.com/grandrapids/Guestbook.asp?Page=Guestbook&PersonID=14730605 Everyone remembers him for his smile and his goofy faces and his ability to make us all laugh. I remember him the same way. A lot of people have mentioned that they never saw Jon in a bad mood. I agree with that 100%. As his coach I've seen him angry, frustrated, upset, and I've even seen him cry. But that all came from his undying passion for the sport of basketball. I never would have seen any of those emotions if he hadn't loved it so much. He took his job out on that court very seriously. And even amongst those emotions, I still never saw him in a bad mood. I admire that about him. I wish I had that ability.
Hearts are broken all over the country, not just GR or even the state of Michigan, by the loss of Jon. To see the way people who loved him have pulled together over these most difficult recent days has been nothing short of amazing. Close to 100 students gathered at Yesterdog with candles and walked to the Davidson's house where they gathered in the front yard. Then they placed the candles in the yard, spelling out "Jon" with them. At the service his classmates and teammates arrived in backwards baseball caps and aviators in honor of his memory. His teammates wore their shooting shirts. Over 300 royal blue wrist bands (like the yellow Live Strong ones) were made up with Jon's initials and his jersey #. If you see someone on the street wearing one, know that that is a life he touched.
If you haven't already, I implore you to read the articles and watch the news clips. Learn who Jon was through someone else's eyes other than just mine. This is a kid who touched the lives of many and while I am certain he will never be forgotten, I still want you all to see for yourselves why he touched my life so deeply. Mostly, be sure to hold your loved ones close and don't ever take them for granted. Life is far too short, especially when the most unexpected happens.
GR Press Article: http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1123253117239580.xml?grpress?NEG&coll=6
WZZM 13 Articles: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/grmetro_article.aspx?storyid=42665 and http://www.wzzm13.com/news/grmetro_article.aspx?storyid=42663
WZZM 13 News Clips: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/videoarchive.aspx "Grand Rapids Teen May Have Died From Bacterial Menigitis" and "Menigitis Death", both dated 8.5.05.
WXMI FOX 17: http://fox17.trb.com/news/080405-wxmi-teen,0,4155835.story?coll=wxmi-default-nav