MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. -- A Marine stands in the shadows, looking at the empty football field in front of him. He waits in the silence of the dawn. The flood lights turn on and shine onto the martial arts weapons, neatly displayed, ready for use. It is early enough in the morning that the moon and stars are clearly visible and the base is still and silent. The 22-year-old’s face is weathered by the elements. As other Marines begin to gather around the instructor his tired expression is replaced with a confident smile as he greets his students.
Cpl. Jamie D. Brooks has dedicated a majority of his time during off-duty hours to teach,
lead, train and mentor Marines as well as the
local Beaufort community in the past two
year. What sets him apart from his peers is
the dedication to help others regardless of the
sacrifices he has to endure. Brooks
was introduced to youth sports at an early
age and understands the impact it can have
on a young person’s life. He approaches both
coaching and training with the same mentality he grew up on.
“I grew up playing baseball,” said the administrative specialist with
the Installation Personnel
Administration Center, Headquarters and Headquarters
Squadron. “I started playing in
second grade and have loved
sports ever since. Looking
back, I realize that the skills
I learned playing sports as a
kid are important life skills.
That’s why I coach now, to
give back and teach the kids
in my community not only
the sport, but team work and
self-discipline.”
Brooks grew up in Roseville, Mich. A year after graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. After
completing recruit training at
Marine Corp Recruit Depot
Parris Island, Marine Combat
Training, and his military
occupational school in Camp
Gilbert H. Johnson, N.C., he
reported to Marine Corps Air
Station Beaufort. Soon after
arriving to the air station
Brooks realized that his life
was missing something.
“I was working out in the
gym one day and saw a Marine Corps Community Services poster asking for Ma-
rines to coach youth sports
teams,” said Brooks. “I realized coaching was something
I could do to make a difference and give back.”
He began coaching three
youth sports teams a year,
but he still wanted to do more
with his time.
In February of this year
Brooks attended the Martial
Arts Instructor course at
MCRD Parris Island. Since
then he has been running
MCMAP courses six days a
week. His classes begin at 4:30
a.m. and end at 7 a.m.
“I wake up at four every
morning and get ready for
MCMAP,” said Brooks. “After
class I’ll change over for work
and work until 4:30 p.m. After,
I coach a sports team three
times a week.”
When Brooks is coaching
he focuses on teaching proper technique. For each sport
he coaches he ensures that
the players get the attention they need, adjusting his
coaching methods to each
individual.
“If one of my players is
struggling with a skill, I
make sure I take the time
to work with them in a way
that gets through to them,”
said Brooks. “I remember
when I was growing up I
used to struggle with batting. One of my players had
the same issue and after I
figured out how to teach
them in a way that they understood, they got it. Now
they are one of my most reliable batters on the team.”
Brooks approaches his
coaching and teaching with
an understanding that everyone learns differently
as he did in the past. He explains that the most important thing is that the Marine
or player can measure their
success by the amount of improvement.
“My personal philosophy
is that I want them to walk
away knowing that they
are better than when they
began,” said Brooks. “They
will know that they overcame whatever they were
struggling with. I like to
think that one day someone
I coached or taught could become a great athlete.”
When it comes to physical
training Brooks pushes his
Marines and players to the
limit. Whether they are running drills or racing through
the obstacle course, he demands 100 percent effort.
“The reason why I take
my Marines to the obstacle
course and the confidence
course is because I want them
to remember that they are a
Marine – a tactical athlete,”
said Brooks. “It’s easy for
Marines to become complacent, being stationed aboard
an air station, but I want to
make sure they get back to
the basics. I want them to feel
like they are doing ‘Marine
things’, pushing themselves
and overcoming their own
expectations of themselves.
That’s what being a Marine is
all about.”
According to Brooks an important aspect of leadership
development is sacrificing
your time to invest in the community around you. He volunteers once a month out in the
local Beaufort community.
“Even though I don’t have
a lot of down time I never get
tired of it,” said Brooks. “It really doesn’t take that much to
make a difference in the lives
of people around you. A few
hours a day is all it takes. Seeing the change in a Marine’s
mindset – the confidence they
gain, or seeing the joy in the
kids’ faces is what makes it all
worth it.”
Brooks was awarded the
bronze and silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award
and has plans to continue to
instruct, coach and volunteer.
He wants to encourage more
Marines to get out there and
make a difference for others
as he strives to every day.
“True leaders will make the
time to invest in and mentor
others,” said Brooks. “I want to
know that I made a difference
in someone’s life and made
them better.”