BRIDGES: Austin becomes vital part of WBHS athletics

Now with the calendar reading 2012, we see Jason making his mark at WBHS in a different way. Jason is now the school’s head wrestling coach and one of the football program’s top assistants. He is already a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Fame and his coaching style matches that of the intensity he showed during his days of competing.

In football, his knowledge of the inner workings of the sport — especially on the line — helps make his players better informed and better prepared for their opposition each week. With the Bulldoggs set to turn a corner this upcoming fall, Austin will continue giving back to his school and to a new generation of athletes.

Austin was also a standout wrestler from his days at WBHS and he has helped to continue to establish the foundation for the Mat Bulldoggs during the 2011-2012 season. His athletes respect him because they know their coach has been there in the trenches as well. He’s not just saying words. He speaks from experience and from experience competing for the same school.

A school’s athletic program is helped by the contributions of coaches like Austin. He works tirelessly to make his programs better. From football to wrestling to track, Austin never stops working, never stops looking for ways to make his athletes better and never stops having that high level of pride for Winder-Barrow High School.

When current WBHS football coach David Wagner was hired prior to the 2010 season, one of the first things he did was retain Austin from the previous staff. I told Wagner that was a solid move although the head coach certainly knew of Austin’s ability.

Austin could teach and coach at any school he wanted. However, his decision to continue helping shape student-athletes at WBHS is a positive aspect of the school’s athletic program.

In today’s society, we need more people like Austin willing to give back to the community which helped shape them character-wise. Fifteen years after I arrived, Jason Austin continues to make news at WBHS.

It’s one of those things we should be thankful for.

Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.