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| The Person Published Friday, December 3rd |
| To say that Nathan Seiter was charismatic would be an understatement. Contagious or infectious might be better descriptions. To know him was to have him invade you and become part of you. He was always way ahead of his time. As a youngster Nathan preferred the company of adults to that of kids his own age - he related better to them, conversed more equally with them, and he learned from them. While supervising grade school league games he would follow me around like a pet puppy-dog. He always had a question that needed answering. Up until just hours before he died he never pulled a punch and was not afraid to ask the tough questions, and demanded answers. I always thought that our compatibility early on was due to mutual admiration, but in hindsight, knowing that Nathan could also be a politician, it was probably simply because I was the guy who had the keys to the gym - the keys to his kingdom. Through his high school years and into adulthood he was always the dominant male. Nathan led - everyone else followed. It was always Nathan who organized the trips and he who called the shots when they got there. He was a titan of independence and scheduled his life's activities with a shoehorn. There was never "downtme" with Nathan Seiter. Each hour presented a new opportunity. He lived life to the fullest. Miles were never an obstacle - there were places to go and fish to be caught. Nathan packed a lot of living into an accelerated 24 year lifetime. If you played basketball, to Nathan Seiter you were likely either "soft" or a sissy. He admired the tough guys. His dad, in his obituary referred to him as being "steet wise" and he was. Jon Lloyd, Nick Ziegler, and his brother Justin were the guys he wanted on his team. If Nate and Justin drew in on opposite sides, it was wise to call security. There was only room on the court for one dominant male and the two would be critical of each other as only two brothers could get away with. Nate would talk trash to Justin and Justin would stick his chin up in the air and shake his head like Nate was crazy. However, let someone else be critical of either and each had the other's back. Nathan found the little girl he was prepared to share his life with in Kim Glaza. Kim was a perfect fit - she understood him and realized that he needed his space. They were starting to look for a home and more than likely before long would become husband and wife. Nathan loved little kids and would have made a great daddy. Each summer he would make time to work our Youth Basketball Camp. He always took the young guys. After about a half hour of staying close to the agenda and teaching the fundamental of the day his group's lessons would routinely evolve into a serious horse or knockout game and Nathan was right in the middle of them - the biggest kid in the bunch. Nathan took no prisioners - he usually won. He was competitive even on an outside court with 9 and 10 year olds - and they loved him for it. Nathan willingly worked the Kincaid Bassmasters' Youth Fishing Derbies and shared his knowledge with the kids of the other members. When Brad was a little younger Nathan would sit him on his shoulders as he waded a creek - the two of them fishing in two-story tandem. He would give you the shirt off of his back, pitch in and help if you needed a favor, or contribute to your cause if asked. If it was important to you it was important to him. Nathan died without knowing the full impact of the influence that he had on SO many lives or just what a treasure he was to a school and a basketball program. He'd be pissed that we cancelled the PC game on Friday. "That's Reee-Diculous" - I can hear him now. Everything was black and white with Nate - Right or Wrong - No middleground. Nathan would be embarassed with all of "the fuss" being made over him now. He loved his time spent at Bobby's Boys' Home playing "Toad Baseball" or participating in a Monday Night Football - Euchere marathon that would go on all night. It was there with his friends that he acquired the unflattering moniker of "Tuber." Most of us would resent it - he relished in it. Want to send him an E/Mail???? Tuber22@aol.com would get it done. Most of all Nathan Seiter was all about family. He joined the family in decorating their home for Christmas. He was helping his dad, rehab a house in Cold Spring and he had just spent the Thanksgiving holiday with the family. He was the proudest guy in the house in March of 2000 when Justin hit the shot to win the 10th Region Tournament. He led the charge onto the court and nearly choked him in the process. He was proud to see Justin and the Mustangs run out on the floor at Rupp and beat Graves County in only our first appearance in the Big Show. He was so looking forward to watching Brad carry on the family tradition this year and surely still will, but from a different angle. He was proud of his sister Jessica and her academic accomplishments. He cherished the time spent with Ryan Shelton and all of his friends. "Me'nShelton" was all one word. He loved Kim very much. She was his trophy - and she loved him back, for all the right reasons, not because he was a superstar or a legend or anybody's hero. She loved him for being Nathan Seiter. Didn't We All??? |
| Nathan Seiter |
| Number 22 |