BY JEFF FALK
Every community needs/has one. Roy Rager was Myerstown’s.
Rager, a long-time volunteer youth sports’ coach in Myerstown, passed away on Wednesday. He was 65.
Fittingly enough, Rager died from complications of a heart attack endured on Sunday, while coaching the Myerstown Panthers midget football team. Rager had spent over 40 years coaching youth football in Myerstown, most of which were served co-head coaching the Panthers with older brother Bill.
As a matter of fact, 2011 marked the 40th season Roy and Bill Rager were the co-head coaches of Myerstown. The Panthers have won eight Lebanon Valley Midget Football Championships under the Ragers’ guidance.
“At the least, they (the kids) get the knowledge of the game,” said Roy Rager, when interviewed last year. “We’re there to encourage them. We’re just getting them ready for the next level.
“We always tell them (the kids), it comes from the heart,” he continued. “It’s a rough sport. So we do encourage them. We don’t want them to quit and do nothing.”
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