About a week or so ago, my friend Connie (Day 264) sent me an email asking if I would consider giving a pie to the man who was the Head Coach of the Snowboard Team at Ashland High School. This man had been her son’s coach and she really thought highly of him. Connie told me the coach’s name, that he worked at the high school in Health Ed, and might also work at a restaurant. That’s all I needed… or so I thought.
When I called the high school, I was told that Matt was not working there this term. I left a message on an answering machine in the gym, but never heard back from anyone. Then I called the restaurant only to find Matt has not worked there in a while. If I was to give Matt a pie, I needed help finding him, and so I wrote Connie again asking, “Do you have Matt’s number?” And she did, and since it seemed unlikely that I would be able to surprise Matt, I chose instead to just call him and spill the beans.
Matt listened as I told him my name, a little bit about my pie project, and that Connie had suggested him for a pie. Matt thought it all sounded great… only trouble was that he was out-of-town at the State Meet with the Ashland team! In fact, he was riding the chair lift as we spoke. We agreed that I would bring him a pie when he got back in to Ashland and he thanked me. And then he asked, “What did you say your name was again?” I told him, “Karen Amarotico.” “Karen!”, he laughed, “It’s Matt… remember? We worked together at Geppetto’s!” Then it hit me… “Oh! You’re that Matt!” I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I still find it strange that this kind of thing seems to happen a lot these days.
I knew Matt would likely be on his way home today, so this morning I began to make a pie for him. Looking at all of the apples on my counter, an apple pie was the logical choice… but it needed something extra. And so after thinking about it for a moment, I chose to make Kick-ass Apple Pie. It just sounded like the kind of pie a good coach deserved.
When I contacted Matt, and arranged to deliver his pie today, he told me the good news: Ashland High boys and girls teams each won the Oregon Interscholastic Snowboarding Association’s state championship Saturday! This was printed in The Oregonian, “Coach Matt Faurot said he had “a pretty strong feeling” his squads would end up on podiums. His teams were talented, deep and, for the most part, injury-free all season.” You can see the rest of the article here.
Congratulations to both of the Snowboard teams! And Thank you, Matt for your tremendous efforts, for sharing your skills, and helping the kids succeed. Are you sure your name isn’t spelled, “Far out?”
“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” Vince Lombardi
Pie a Day Give Away 
I love it when I know the pie recipient!
Thanks so much Karen! I am so excited Matt has one of your incredible pies. He is such a special person and continues to be an incredible influence on those who know him! Oh and way to go AHS Snowboard Teams!!!