Posted on Wed, May. 28, 2008

Before Tuesday's All-Dade Awards Breakfast at Miami's Jungle Island, longtime Southridge girls' track coach Sam Burley joked that the only thing left for him to do before retiring this summer was to take one last bow on stage.

The first and only coach in Southridge's 29-year history -- who roamed the school halls with a trademark set of pencils tucked underneath his knee-high socks -- got his chance. Burley, 59, was one of four men honored as The Miami Herald's Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Longtime Carol City football coach Walt Frazier; Brother Kevin Handibode, president of Columbus High; and Miami Herald deputy sports editor Bill Van Smith also were honored.

''I was shocked, almost speechless,'' said Burley, whose coaching résumé features a combined dual-meet record of 630-6, 25 individual state champions and six state titles.

``Of all the awards I've received -- being in the Hall of Fame, winning state championships -- nothing compares to today. You don't realize how important what it is you do for the lives of others until a day like today.''

Frazier, who spent the past 26 years coaching the Chiefs, won 212 games and three championships. Honored as one of the state's Coaches of the Century in December, he earned a reputation for being a staunch disciplinarian.

Frazier wasn't wearing his signature orange train conductor's hat when he took the stage Tuesday. But the crowd of more than 1,000 inside the Treetop Ballroom listened intently to his deep voice -- much like his teams used to -- when he spoke about receiving the award.

''It's a tremendous honor, but I'd like to thank all of the wonderful students, teachers and faculty at Carol City High School who made it such a pleasure for me to coach,'' Frazier said.

``Without them, there would have never been a Carol City.''

Handibode didn't coach for nearly as long as Frazier or Burley. After becoming a Marist Brother in 1957, when he was 18, he coached varsity basketball at Columbus for 18 years and had only three losing seasons. He has spent the past 20 years shaping the school as principal, fundraiser and now president.

Van Smith, who began working for The Miami Herald in 1966, never coached at the high-school level. But he spent his first 32 years working directly with high schools as a reporter and editor. Tuesday's ceremony was the 41st he has attended. He will be retiring in July.

''I feel like I should be giving this award to the high school athletes instead of me,'' Van Smith said. ``They're the ones who have enriched me.''