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St. Bede cross country coach Marty Makransky found direction in the Air Force · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Saint Bede cross country coach Marty McCransky found direction in the Air
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  Force. Written by Kevin Schlum This article is being read by an
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  automated voice brought to you by Everlet. After a successful running career
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  at Illinois Valley Community College, where he qualified for nationals in both
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  cross country and track and field, Marty Makransky was ready to take
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  the next step.
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  He found it in the U.S. Air Force.
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  I was looking for direction, Makransky said. I had done my two
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  years running at IVCC, and there was a stopping point. I wasn’t
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  going to go to a four-year university. I could have, but there
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  were some obstacles that were in my way. So I was searching
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  for a path. The military seemed like the right fit.
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  Makransky joined the military in August 1980.
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  It was a very unique time in our life in the U.S.
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  With the Cold War, Makransky said.
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  Makransky went to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for
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  six weeks of boot camp to begin a career that lasted more
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  than 20 years over two stints the first one ending shortly before
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  9/11, which prompted him to rejoin.
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  Makransky then went to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas,
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  to learn medical administration.
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  His first assignment was at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona.
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  I worked in a hospital, and it was a great duty because
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  I’m a stickler for records, Makransky said. You really have to believe
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  that people’s medical records are important throughout their career and after. The
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  accuracy of making sure those records are in the right place at
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  the right time, I took pride in that.
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  But after that, most of Makransky’s duty was in computer departments or
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  readiness departments.
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  It was a time when the military was building up big on
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  computers, so they were spending money on our computer systems and we
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  were putting them in, Makransky said. I learned so much about computers
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  at that time.
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  In the readiness department, Makransky helped develop plans for disaster preparedness as
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  well as plans for sending medics into the field and retrieving patients
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  during conflict.
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  Makransky’s unit deployed to England in support of the Persian Gulf War
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  in the 1990s. As the noncommissioned in charge of the readiness department,
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  Makransky stayed in the U.S. To direct operations.
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  Makransky retired in 2001 and returned to Princeton, where he was planning
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  to go to Bradley University for a degree in information technology.
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  After 9/11, Makransky returned to the military.
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  It was a scary time, Makransky said.
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  Makransky was the noncommissioned officer in charge of the readiness department at
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  Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
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  Our job was to put shipments of blood on planes for our
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  hospital overseas, Makransky said.
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  Makransky served an additional 13 months before getting out for good. He
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  took night classes during his second stint and had gotten his degree
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  from Park University, and when he returned home, he went to Illinois
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  State University for a teaching certificate.
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  I always wanted to be the IT guy, but when I got
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  back out the second time, I was drawn to coaching, said Makransky,
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  who played softball, flag football and basketball throughout his Air Force career.
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  I knew it’d be hard to be in a 9 to 5
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  job and coach at the high school level, so in order to
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  coach, I needed to be inside the walls, and to do that,
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  I had to get my teaching certificate.
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  Makransky started as a teacher and assistant track coach at Princeton, later
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  moved to teaching at the Area Career Center at La Salle-Peru while
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  serving as L-P’s boys track coach and now teaches computer science and
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  coaches cross country and track and field at St. Bede.
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  Makransky said some aspects of his military background have translated to coaching
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  and some have not.
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  Running a whole program, did some of the military skills translate in
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  that regard? 100%, Makransky said. When I was in the readiness department,
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  they taught me that you have a plan B and a plan
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  C. You don’t leave anything up to chance.
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  So being totally organized and structured, that really helps with track and
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  field and training.
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  Makransky has found, though, that barking orders doesn’t work with high school
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  athletes as it does in the military.
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  It took a couple seasons before I realized that the straight barking,
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  do what I say because I said so, wasn’t getting through to
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  everyone, Makransky said.
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  Makransky adapted to a style where he would get on his athletes
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  and push them, but he also makes sure to highlight the positives.
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  What’s always been the fun part is being able to make them
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  believe they’re good enough to be out there competing with the best,
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  Makransky said.