The boy’s name is not important. Let’s just say the East Ridge Middle School student has recently endured far more than his fair share of family turmoil.

So when he asked his chorus teacher a few days ago if he could dedicate “The Wind Beneath My Wings” to retiring athletic director and history teacher Charlie Goss, Lea Jolley was more than happy to oblige.

Said Jolley of that performance, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

She also said, “My own children say that Coach Goss is one of the greatest men they've ever known.”

This is the impact that Goss has had on the community he's called home for most of his life. This is why the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is staging a hot dog “roast” on Tuesday night to establish summer camp scholarships in Goss's name for East Ridge High and Middle School athletes.

The event will begin at 6:30 at Jones Memorial Methodist Church on Ringgold Road and is open to the public. Adults are $5, students $2. Donations are accepted.

“With the economy so bad,” said Jolley, “we couldn't think of a better way to honor Coach Goss than to establish a scholarship fund to help our athletes go to summer camps.”

Goss has been helping East Ridge athletes and students in one form or another since 1972, when he first began his teaching and coaching career at the community's junior high. Seven years before that he had graduated from East Ridge High after becoming the Pioneers' first state wrestling champ.

In the years since the 62-year-old Goss has taught American history, several sports and been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was the co-founder of the East Ridge Little Boy Wrestling Club 30 years ago and has been a TSSAA wrestling official for 40 years.

“This means a lot,” said Goss over the weekend. “I was in FCA when I was in school. I'll do anything to help these kids.”

Including being roasted by everyone from East Hamilton wrestling coach Danny Gilbert to Soddy-Daisy wrestling coach Steve Henry to East Ridge High coach Brad Jackson.

“I'm not worried about those guys,” said Goss. “We've been bashing each other for years anyway.”

But if Gilbert, Henry and Jackson are keeping their thoughts on their buddy to themselves until Tuesday, Charlie's wife Carol and Jolley are more than happy to share a few of their favorite things about the man WDEF recently awarded its Golden Apple Teacher Award for 2009.

“I remember a parent calling from Red Bank one time,” said Carol, the principal at Tyner Academy. “Their child had beaten one of Charlie's wrestlers. The parent said Charlie congratulated his son after the match then gave him some tips to get better. He couldn't believe it.”

Carol also said she wishes she had a dollar or a dime for every time her husband would call to tell her he'd be bringing a student home that night, “Because there had been a house fire or they just needed a place to get away for a night or two.”

This is not to say Carol has only inspirational stories about her husband.

“Because Charlie's a history teacher he's really into trivia and minutia,” she said. “One day I finally convinced him to clean out his office and he came across a track scorebook from 1972. I said, 'Surely you can get rid of this.' He said, 'You never know when somebody might be interested in this.’ It's still in his office to this day. He's the consummate pack rack.”

Goss says he also enjoys fishing with son Jonathan, is indeed a history fanatic and that he once bowled a 288.

Jolley will tell you that Goss loves to travel but hates to fly. That he stops at Sonic every afternoon for a Route 44 drink. That when she first started at East Ridge Middle, a fellow teacher told her, “If you have trouble with any athletes, don't call the principal. Call coach Goss.”

Come Tuesday night a lot of Goss's friends will call him a lot of things in jest to help a good cause.

Said Carol, “Charlie's given so much to the children of East Ridge. I can't think of anyone who deserves this more.”

Here’s hoping a lot of East Ridge will be interested in honoring its consummate coach.