Big Smiles...

I’m very fortunate in my job with the people I meet and then see again several times a year. I appreciate getting the opportunity to visit and really get to know them better.

There are so many folks that volunteer and go out of their way to help young people succeed and do the right thing. I’m drawn to those folks because they truly make a positive difference.

Often times in my travels I run into some wonderful people that I coached at one time or another. When we do I can guarantee that some team or game will come up for discussion.

Last Friday at the Adams County Fair in Othello I saw one of the young men I coached in Lind in the early 1990s. Ryan was a lineman on both sides of the ball and he was a good one. I’m not sure that he ever came off the field except for halftime or when the final gun sounded.

Ryan was the kind of player that was easy to coach because he loved the game so much. I’m sure he was disappointed that we didn’t play another 12-minute quarter every game. When we did play an overtime session he was happy to go back to work and leave it all on the field.

Now that he is married and has three kids of his own it is fun to visit with him about his kids. His oldest daughter shows sheep and is really good and quite successful. When she first showed them Ryan was as nervous as can be. He is much calmer now and very proud.

When we first started chatting on Friday the topic of football came up rather quickly which should not be a surprise. His son is a fourth grader playing Grid Kids and the young lad seems to be a natural. He loves to hit and as a quarterback is figuring the game out.

Ryan said that he is starting to read defenses and in a recent game the team from Warden brought their linebackers up close and instead of handing the ball off to a running back he took off on a QB sneak and he scored a with a long TD run.

As Ryan told me this story he was beaming from ear to ear much like he did after a big win as a player 20 years ago. It was a great feeling to see this young father appreciate the accomplishments of his kids.

He told me the story about when he asked his son if he wanted to play football. He said, “I was holding my breath hoping he would say yes and when he finally did I let out a yell!” Needless to say, Ryan was a very happy camper.

It is obvious that Ryan, and his son, watch a lot of football and that he has a very good understanding of the game, which is good since the family are really big football fans and seemingly can’t wait for that season to roll around each year

When I look back on those days so many years ago I often wonder if the players I coached gained as much knowledge about the game as I did learning about dealing with teenaged football players. I have nothing but great memories from those days and appreciate each and every player that pulled on the Bulldog jersey.

Ryan and I had big smiles on our faces visiting last week and it all revolved around Ryan’s family. Those are moments that I thoroughly enjoy and cherish as a former coach. As the commercial says, “They are priceless!”