Kemal Pegram doesn't shy away from tough decisions. He addresses them head on and doesn't look back with regret.
So when Pegram decided to give up his post as the head wrestling coach at Big Spring after the 2011-2012 season to devote more time to his son with special needs, it was a no brainer. He didn't give it a second thought.
Education and dedication to family came first. Still, Pegram kept an eye on his former wrestlers and stayed close to the sport he loves.
And it wasn't long before Pegram's sacrifice was rewarded.
Pegram found The Vista School, a facility that provides state-of-the-art special education services to children with autism, in Hershey. Ironically, Lower Dauphin was also looking for a head wrestling coach.
The timing was perfect. After one year on the shelf, Pegram jumped at the opportunity and was an easy hire for a program trying to resurrect past success.
“We wanted to get my son back in school, and the job opened up here,” Pegram said. “The rest is history.
“We live here in the district now, and we're happy. It's a better environment for my son, my daughter, and it's closer to where my wife works. Everything happens for a reason.”
Pegram is a former New Jersey state champion. He knows the sacrifice and work it takes to get to the next level.
He is a fiery, no-nonsense motivator that is goal oriented. That will be a welcomed addition to a Falcons program that hasn't made the district team duals since finishing third in the 2008-2009 season.
“For me, this is unfinished business,” Pegram said. “We always believed we're going to win states. I didn't have an opportunity to do that at my previous job, so there is something left on the table for me.
“Coming to this environment, it rekindled that flame and motivated me more because Lower Dauphin has never had an individual win a state title. Not only do I want to produce a team state championship, we have our sights set on getting an individual champion.”
It won't be easy.
But Pegram would have it no other way. He wants it to be hard. Overcoming difficulties is what makes standing at the top of the podium in March so satisfying.
Pegram isn't alone in this quest. Josh Lininger — ironically, another former Big Spring and LD head coach — is an assistant, and there are plenty of good athletes in the fold that have the support of the entire community.
“Here at Lower Dauphin, the sky isn't falling,” he said. “We have talented athletes, a great support system and wonderful community. The only thing I hope I can add to the mix is the engine that propels them forward.
“It's going to take some time for people to get used to my intensity and my expectations. But over time, these guys will know me better, I will know them better and things will start rolling.”
For now, Pegram will get things rolling with a skimpy roster.
The football team is still entrenched in the playoffs. That has left the wrestling room nine bodies short in preseason workouts, eight of which are potential starters.
Don't expect Pegram to make excuses. That isn't his way. He expects this team to improve and be in the hunt for a Mid-Penn Keystone Division title.
“No shy of confidence here,” Pegram said. “We want to win the conference and make team states. Next year, we want to go deep in the state team tournament. I fully anticipate and believe in our third year, we should challenge to place at states.
“We aren't hurting for talent here. We have very talented guys waiting in the wings, so once everyone is on the same page and they are congruent with what I expect, individual wise, we will be fine.”
Pegram is bleeding blue.
This isn't a temporary situation. Pegram has already started to bolster the youth numbers, and he is committed to this school, to this community and this program for years to come.
“We moved our family,” Pegram said. “This is a district that I always respected and kind of looked at as a standard.
“In my mind, looking from the outside in, they did things the right way. Some of the hiccups you have at other schools with other programs, you don't hear about that here.
“We feel we are in the right place. Our house is even blue. I'm a Kool-Aid drinker, and I'm a believer.”