By Elaine Rassel
Friday, September 3, 2021, was Mark Brighton’s funeral held at the United Methodist Church. Those whose lives he touched, said goodbye to him at a filled service.
There were four tables that told of his early life, his children, and the other three tables had all his accomplishments of his career as a coach not just newspaper articles but plaques and trophies!
In 1987 he graduated from Westmar College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education and Elementary Education. He began teaching at Meriden-Cleghorn School in 1987 and continued when Marcus consolidated with MC in 1993. and Remsen-Union in 2016.
It was August 22, 1996 in the Marcus News paper when he was honored for being MMC’s Most Dedicated Coach in the following article:
For the past three years the MMC Athletic Booster Club has attempted to support, encourage and improve the athletic programs in our district. Whether or not our efforts are successful depends on the coach. First of all, the coach must spend countless hours with regular and frequent practices to motivate and inspire each player to develop their talents. The mutual respect that must develop between a coach and player proves to be an invaluable lesson throughout life. We expect coaches to use constructive criticism but also dish out large helpings of encouragement which can be as simple as a word of praise, a pat on the back, or a well written sports article in the paper. Being a role model by demonstrating good sportsmanship is also imperative. The MMC Athletic Booster Club is honoring and thanking Mark Brighton for demonstrating all of the qualities we expect in an exceptional way.
Eight years ago Mark Brighton started coaching our girls softball program, a program that had not experienced a winning season for years. During that time our softball girls have developed into a team that is bubbling with enthusiasm, leadership and success. They have only had one losing season in the past eight years and this past season won 28 games and lost 5, an all time school record. The team also ended up conference this year, another first-ever. Mr. Brighton’s dedication, his coaching ability, and his love of girls softball inspires our girls to attain many of their goals. We encourage Mark to continue his dedication to the MMC School and its programs.
Mark Brighton has also been named Northwest Iowa IA District Coach of the Year by the Iowa Athletic Coaches Association.
This were just TWO of the many honors he received in his long career. He was awarded the Iowa Middle School Athletic Director of the Year multiple times, IA District Coach of the Year multiple times and was inducted into the 2021 IHSADA Hall of Fame.
In the April 9, 2020 Marcus News, “Mark Brighton, CMAA to Receive NIAAA State Award of Merit.” Mark Brighton, CMAA, Junior High School Athletic Director for Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School in Marcus, Iowa will receive the 2019 NIAAA State Award of Merit during the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association (IHSADA) state conference on March 30.
This annual awardis provided by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), for recognition of meritorious dedication to High School and Middle School Athletics.
*Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) *27 years as an Athletic Director and *IHSADA Historian.
About the NIAAA: Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIAAA is the professional organization for interscholastic athletic administrators. The NIAAA consists of athletic director associations in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the membership includes over 10,000 athletic administrators from the U.S., as well as internationally, NIAAA membership provides opportunity for professional development, education, certification, benefits of services, products, recognition, the exchange of ideas and promotion of the profession.
NIAAA champions the profession of athletic administration through education opportunities, advocating ethics, developing leaders and fostering community.
Another award was announced in the December 10, 2020 Marcus News: IHSADA Announces 2020-2021 Hall of Fame Winners. Award winners attaining the level of IHSADA Hall of Fame include Mr. Mark Brighton, MMCRU. Award honorees will be recognized at the annual IHSADA State Convention, March 27-March 30. The Hall of Fame will be presented at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 29 at the Marriott in Coralville at the present time.
When the kids finished their school year out with running the track, three legged races, etc., Mr. Brighton was there especially when the kids were running the track to see who was “first”. This was something he seemed to enjoy. Then the time came when he found out he had a health problem. He knew he couldn’t do his job the way he was used to and resigned. It was a tough decision, but he knew it had to be done.
There were many flowers, etc. at the church from Classes of (several years). He touched the lives of hundreds of kids in the time he began his career in 1987 until 2020. Did he make a difference in their lives? All the remembrances from these Classes showed he was well liked and they weren’t going to forget him.
Mark Brighton, from all those lives you touched, until we meet again, rest in peace.