During a school day in March, Tim Gushue felt some warning signs that he couldn't ignore.
"I was light-headed. I was dizzy. My left arm got a little numb. I said, 'We're going to the ER,' " he recalled.
Gushue had what is known as a transient ischemic attack, or "ministroke."
He thought about how it might affect his day-to-day routine, jam-packed with the responsibilities of being Shawnee's head football and boys' lacrosse coach. And, he conceded, it forced him to calm down for a little while.
But one thing that Gushue - The Inquirer's South Jersey Coach of the Year in boys' lacrosse - never really considered was giving up coaching.
He is a 1972 graduate of Shawnee. He has been teaching and coaching at Shawnee for almost 40 years.
Even when doctors recommended that he consider an extended leave, even when his injury-riddled Renegades started the season 3-4 - unheard of in the 10-year history of the program - there was never much of a question.
"I was out for about three weeks right before the season started," said Gushue, who is feeling relatively back to full strength. "And this health thing definitely got my attention. But I knew I was coming back. And really, it was inspiring to see how we came together this season."
Gushue referred to himself and fellow veteran coach Gene Shulman, a Renegades assistant, as the "CEOs" of Shawnee lacrosse.
"We manage everything. We handle conditioning," Gushue said.
He credits assistant coaches Jim Dunn, Matt McCall, and Erik Stilley with being in charge of the X's and O's. They were largely responsible, Gushue said, for helping turn his team's season around and for guiding Shawnee to 12 wins in its final 14 games, with the two losses coming to Tournament of Champions winner Bridgewater-Raritan and Group 3 champion Ridgewood.
But credit Gushue for holding steadfastly to a role that the Renegades needed him to play.
He never missed a game and never gave up on his team.
"We were all able to stay the course," Gushue said. "From all the years I've experienced in coaching, whether it's lacrosse, football, or track, if I've learned anything, it's this: You don't want to panic. You don't want to overreact. Take a look at what went wrong, analyze it, and fix it."
The team did just that. The Renegades regrouped after losing three starters to season-ending injuries. They became more patient, shored up their defense, and shed their run-and-gun offensive style for a slower 6-on-6 game.
"The players and my assistant coaches showed great resiliency as a team. I love all the players - they're great young men," Gushue said. "They knew I was having a few issues, and that they needed to do their job. And they did.
"As a coach, it's rewarding when that happens."
Contact Chris Melchiorre at rallysports@phillynews.com.
