RAD DAD
Melvin Whitney He’s coaching athletes and his kids in the game of life
A
By Danielle Teigen
s a kid growing up in Chicago, Melvin Whitney never thought he'd end up working and raising a family in the Fargo-Moorhead area, but he's been here for more than 20 years and wouldn't have it any other way. His journey west started in Thief River Falls at Northland Community & Technical where he played football, but he set his sights a little higher and ended up walking on at North Dakota State University to become a member of the Bison football team. Life took a bit of a turn for Melvin though, so he didn't play for the Bison long before he left to focus on working (returning later to complete his degree). Melvin's love for the game of football found a new outlet through coaching when he was hired as an assistant coach at Shanley High School in 2010. During his six years there, his team qualified for the state title game five times, winning championships two years. In 2016, Melvin landed the head coach position at Oak Grove Lutheran School where he continues to mentor and guide student-athletes on and off the football field. He shared that he believes his role as a coach is about more than just helping the athletes play the game well but is also about teaching them valuable life lessons on being upstanding young men. Melvin also stays busy watching plenty of sports, in addition to spending time with his two kids: Michael, who is 12, and Grace, who is 36
ON THE MINDS OF MOMS | AUGUST • SEPTEMBER 2021
2. Melvin jokes that his daughter should have been named "Sass" because she has a lot of attitude and knows exactly what she wants, he laughed. What's not a joke is her love and adoration for her big brother, and Melvin has enjoyed watching their relationship develop, even if that means Grace prefers Michael over him, Melvin said with a smile. When he's not coaching football or spending time with his kids, Melvin works as the director of advancement and development at M State Community and Technical College, a role that involves securing funds for scholarships while providing him with a sense of fulfillment because he's helping students achieve their goals. He also spends plenty of time giving back to the community through his involvement with the Fargo West Rotary. His love of service is something he hopes to pass on to his own kids as well as those he coaches. "The best thing you can do (in life) is give back to others and inspire someone else to do the same," Melvin said. He also shared that a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2019 changed his life in many ways. After dealing with symptoms for years, he switched to a male doctor who immediately wanted to check his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. The results led to a cascade of additional tests and appointments and eventually surgery in November of that year. Once he'd finally recovered, Melvin researched how he could live healthier and help his body continue to recover, which meant changing his diet and seeking alternative treatment options.
