I met David when I was 14 years old in 1985 when I was on the Bluefin swim team — 28 years I have known him. He had just been hired by director, Ronnie Young, as the new Bluefin head swim coach and the knucklehead came straight out of college from Western Carolina and Carrollton has not been the same since.
I remember the first time David was introduced as the coach at one of our practices at the old West Georgia College pool in the HPE building, and I thought “that is one big man.” At first, we did not get along too well, and 90 eight percent of it was probably the fact that I was 14 years old, and thought I knew everything — in hindsight, I really didn’t know squat.
When I finished swimming, at 18 years of age, the reason our freestyle relay had a Top 16 time in the country was because of Weeks. When I was in college in the early ‘90s I worked for David for five years as his assistant coach, and those were some of the best times I have ever had in parks and recreation. It was fun, and life seemed to be so much simpler then.
The sole reason I majored in parks and recreation in college was because of my experiences as an assistant coach for the Bluefins while working under David.
If anyone knows David and me, then you know that he and I are as different as day and night, which probably explains why we have been able to maintain our friendship over the years. He is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met in my life, and has a big heart for every kid he has coached, whether it is someone who swam for one year or someone who swam for 10-plus years for him. I have seen kids who have become adults, and they will come up to him in public, and thank him for what he did for them when they were a child.
He eats, breathes, and dreams about the sport of swimming, and from a supervisor standpoint you could not ask for a better person working in your department. I have tried to get him to cut back on his hours over the years, but I might as well be talking to a brick wall. He loves the sport and he loves the kids and parents that are part of the Bluefin family.
I always say that he will be hard to replace one day, but I don’t say it too loud because I do not want him to get a big head. He is a great friend, and my own girls see him as Uncle Weeks to our family. Thanks for what you have done for the Bluefin Organization Weeks. It’s been a fun ride even if you do drive me crazy.
Maierhofer is director of the Carrollton Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.
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