It was a fitting tribute.

Riviera-Kaufer’s athletic staff had handed out all of their awards, at their annual banquet on Thursday, and the night was concluding with a highlight film from the year in sports.

The film faded to black and the words, if I remember correctly, ‘And now honoring a great man: Coach Artie de la Rosa’ came on. Arturo de la Rosa, former Riviera Independent School District athletic director and his family sat as pictures of him as a child and a much younger man faded in and out on the screen. It can be said that the coach saw his life - and 30 year career at RISD - flash before his eyes.

At the end of the film, numerous Seahawk football players expressed their heartfelt thanks to the man who had done so much for them during their playing years.

But before I go on, allow me to go back even further. Four years ago, I met Coach De la Rosa for the first time when he was an assistant who had to take over a Seahawk football team that was a nobody. At that time, Coach Artie assisted someone who was eventually relieved of his head coaching duties.

Coach Artie picked up the slack of leading the Seahawks and RISD’s brass eventually named him the new athletic director. A few weeks had passed when I got word that someone was going to complain about De la Rosa at a school board meeting and that was the first time I drove to Riviera.

Sure enough, a lady at the meeting called De la Rosa’s AD assignment political favoritism. I asked her a few questions and then went over to De la Rosa to get his side.

“I’m not going to comment,” he said to me.

That was the first time I saw how much Coach Artie loved his community in that he was willing to take one for the team, not an easy thing to do.

The Seahawks slowly climbed out of the District 32-2A cellar. I watched my first Seahawk football game during De la Rosa’s second year at the helm. Watching the water-birds fumble five times against Benavides and still win, I told myself ‘These guys are actually good, when they hold onto the ball’.

One year later, the Seahawks were beating up on Premont during homecoming when the boys got sloppy in the third quarter and committed three personal fouls. They went on to win but Coach Artie tore them a new one afterwards; as any father figure who wanted his boys to behave properly would have.

Weeks later, Kaufer found itself in strange territory, the playoffs. The Seahawks played a good game but lost. Understandably, some of the boys were crying after the game, and there was Coach Artie tearing up with them.

The lights came back on after Coach Artie’s tribute on Thursday and there he sat tearing up again as he hugged his wife who was also crying.

A handful of Seahawk football players gave Coach Artie a football signed by the team - while the gathering stood and applauded - and the students hugged the teacher. It was a fitting tribute indeed.