When it came to impact, Ryan Leslie was a major provider during the start-up years of the New Westminster Hyacks football program.
The longtime coach, who joined the high school coaching staff a few months into the program’s rebirth in 2003, is currently in a Seattle hospital with lower- and upper-body paralysis.
New West Hyacks coach and program founder Farhan Lalji said a visit on Saturday saw Leslie looking forward and looking out for his family.
“When we visited (Saturday) he was trying to be as stoic as he can and trying to look forward and make arrangements for what’s next,” said Lalji.
The paralysis followed surgery to relieve an infection located near his spine. Married and a father to two young boys, Leslie was a big proponent of the Hyack program in its early years, said Lalji.
“I recall he was thinking of becoming a career coach and in the summer (of 2003) he went down to California to mentor under a coach at a big-time high school program there and that’s where he wanted his career path to go. … He came back in the fall and we asked him to join our staff and he was great for us.
“Right from the outset, he had exceptional knowledge of the game and for the details of the game but was still able to communicate to players in a simple enough way that they could understand,” said Lalji.
He remained a part of the Hyack coaching staff until 2006, when a career change made early morning attendance at the coaches meeting impossible. At that point, he took on administrative duties with the New West youth program and applied his knowledge behind the scenes.
“He took it over and the youth program was certainly better for it,” said Lalji.
“He’s got very good computer and administrative skills. He had a real good ability to rally the troops, and our youth program was as good as it’s ever been when he was in charge.”
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help raise funds for his future needs as Leslie rehabs. Paralyzed from the chest down, he hopes to regain at least of his arms and hands and return to work at Amazon.
In the meantime, funds will be required to make his home wheelchair accessible, as well as purchase a vehicle suitable for his needs. There could also be future health-care costs that are not met by his insurance.
The fund has already exceeded $42,000 in four days. People interested in contributing can do so at www.gofundme.com/help-coach-ryan-leslie.
“He’s a good man who impacted a lot of people, and I’m sad to see that this is going to be a life-change for him that is going to affect his family so deeply,” said Lalji.
