I’ve told this story before, but I want to tell it again since it’s Father’s Day. My Daddy has coached Pop Warner in the Unlimited Division for years, and one of the things that separates Pop Warner from other programs is the rule that EVERY player on the team has to PLAY in EVERY game, and ANYONE who wants to join the team has to be accepted. Try putting together a ‘winning program’ with THAT kind of a rule in place! We once had a running back on our team that was small, slow and … slow and small. We were playing a game against one of our biggest rivals, and late in the 4th quarter my father put the him in. The result was predictable: He ran the ball, and got absolutely de-cleated. But he picked himself up, ran back to the huddle, and … My Daddy ran him again with the same result. When my father did it again, I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I ran over and said to him, “Daddy, take him out of there! They’re killing him!!” My father, MY OWN FATHER!, gave me a Sicilian ‘death stare’, and said “When I want your opinion, I’ll ask you for it!!” He kept running the poor guy, but then something amazing happened. Each time he got clocked, the first person to come over to him and offer him a ‘hand up’ was one of the opposing defenders. And when he was back on his feet, it was a defender that gave him a slap on the butt as he ran back to the huddle. And when my Daddy finally, MERCIFULLY, pulled him out the fans on BOTH sides of the field gave him a standing ovation! As I’ve said before, that was the day that I REALLY learned what football is all about! Happy Father’s Day!
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:09:33 +0000
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