Just wanted to share the wonderful news that my son's (Art, 15, sophomore) football team had a great year, due to the fantastic athletic department. All of the athletes must take a course (which the school springs for $3,000 for the course every year) that teaches true sportsmanship and moral qualities to the young adults. So, win or lose, play more or less than others, all enjoyed! Friday we just won our last game! My son's team tied for first in the region! We never had an empty seat in the house and all the games were very decent weather, even the last with a few umbrellas we got through. I never missed one and then stayed for the varsity games too, which also came out really well. Sports can be an excellent way to build character and teamplaying! HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!! As we speak, I have been discussing with other teams ways to bring money (via corporate signs) and the program into the other schools to help build their teams too, and encourage a good outlook on the "way" they play the game instead of winning or losing.
[ October 29, 2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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That's awesome! I agree with you about that type of thing molding the boys to be good young men.
I know how you feel. My son's last game was this past Sunday. He is 14 and plays for YAFL. This was their last year of playing before going off to play high school ball next year. On Sunday they took the Senior Superbowl Championship. It was so cool!
Most of the boys have been playing together since they were 9 yrs. old. Their coach was going to retire last year but the boys asked him to coach them thru their last year. And he's a terrific coach. He doesn't belittle the boys or humiliate them like so many coaches do. He and the 2 assitants don't even have kids. They just like to give back to the community. He is a judge and the assistants are firemen. He even told all the parents in the beginning, "I don't care how much you paid to have your boy play football. If he is not doing good in school, he's not playing". Of course, all the parents loved that. So every week he would expect a school report from the boys teachers. He also tells the boys, "this is just a game, nothing else. I'm here to teach you to think hard and work hard. And if you do those two things throughout your life, everything else will fall in place".
Sorry to go on, I just had to share your excitement!
-------------------- John Cordova Gitano Design Studio Albuquerque, NM Posts: 268 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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John, that's great! and the kids grow up so quickly...you'll miss them and we never have enough time with them, it seems. I agree about the coach's attitudes. How solid. And you know, the way I feel is that we put too much emphasis on our own perceptions and lives instead of refocusing our views and time with our "new future generation". I have older kids too, and it is amazing how they imitate us. It is never, I repeat never, too late to give them good teaching. A lot they take for face value, and even if we mess up, we can pick up and look forward, as they are constantly learning from us. (I always loved the song,"the cat and the cradle" by Cat Stevens) and the money and success rate second with me all the time, if possible. My kids can vouch for that.
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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I'm so glad to hear your experience with football has been positive. With my 3 boys I have coached basketball, baseball and football. I was major into sports as a kid, and you know what they say, "When you can't play anymore, you coach." This 53 year old body can't take the poundin' like it used to, so I coach.
I've been coaching youth football for over 10 years. I started with my youngest son and after he got to high school, I decided to stay with it, and it has really become a hobby. I'm the offensive coordinator for our area and head coach of the 8th graders. We just finished with a 7-1 record. Our high school football team has won the state championship, come in 2nd and been to the final four a number of times and the town has become football crazy. We even have a girl who I coached who is now playing in high school and starting on defense.
Football is my favorite sport, because it has all the ingredients necessary to help mold our kids into successful adults. It requires dedication, hard work, teamwork and perserverance. It teaches kids to control their anger between whistles. At the end of the game the sense of accomplishment, win or lose, is very rewarding. Good sportsmanship is the key, and even though it is not always present, it is stressed over and over to the coaches at validation clincs. It seems like as the years go by we have gotten better at controlling sportsmanship. There are even fines levied at coaches for letting their fans get out of control. We take it very seriously. In our town the revenues from 11 straight playoff appearances fund all the other sports combined at our high school. There are so many ways to acquire money through fund raisers and booster organizations, I wouldn't even know how to tell you, but I do know that any sport will make your kid a better student and keep them involved with positive kids. Good luck!
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2112 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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