The 2013 Harrison Wildcats: Football and Family

There is a reason why I love the game of football more than any other sport on the planet. Is there any other sport where rosters of 50 to 100 people can come together for one goal? Is there any other game where 11 people must play together as one cohesive unit like football? Is there any other sport that brings people together as a family like the game of football?

That’s what I saw this year with the Harrison High School team. No one really knew what would happen with this squad in 2013. The Wildcats finished 4-6 last season, and they entered this year with some of the same flaws that plagued the 2012 team. When one of the kids told me that the Wildcats would finish around 7-3 during training camp, I didn’t buy it. The Wildcats had talent, but there were issues that I didn’t think they could solve. I was wrong.

Head coach Kent McCullough and his staff did an outstanding job coaching these kids up and fixing the team’s weaknesses. However, if there is one intangible about this team that made the difference, it’s how the Wildcats came together as a family. This group of young men came to love each other like brothers. There is almost nothing that they wouldn’t do for one another. The 2013 Wildcats were more than just a football team. They were a family that formed a bond that nothing could break.

That isn’t to say that the 2012 team wasn’t a family because they were. There was just something different about this team. The 2013 Wildcats were there for each other in a way that reminded me of everything I love about this game. When the Wildcats lost their first-round playoff game to Northwest, the kids weren’t upset about not playing another Friday. They accepted their loss with class and dignity. Instead, they were upset because they would never take the field with their senior brothers again. Their time together on the field is over, and that knowledge wounded them more than words can express.

The sport of football is often criticized for its violence, and now we’re reading stories about bullying and other issues. However, it was a privilege to witness football at its greatest this season at Harrison. The Wildcats played to win with passion and a love for the game that is rare. They laid it all on the line for each other, and in doing so, they can hold their heads high and be proud of what they accomplished together this season. They became a family, and in the end, that’s what football is about.

Birthday Introspection - Have I Done Enough?

There are some days when I question if anything that I’ve done has mattered. It usually happens right around my birthday, which I guess makes sense. I turn 35 years old tomorrow, and I’m feeling every bit of that age. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not feeling old. It’s not like that at all. Instead, I’m looking back over my life and wondering if I’ve accomplished anything. Have I changed people’s lives? Have I made the world a better place? Have I really allowed God to use me during my short time on this earth?

I’d like to say that I have made a difference. I’d like to believe that I’ve done everything I could to serve my God, family, church and students, but I don’t think I have. I cringe when I look at all the imperfections in my own life. My flaws run deep. How can I make a difference?

However, I’m sure about one thing: God’s grace. I know that He had His reasons for setting me on this path. I understand that His grace covers me. That’s why I move forward; that’s why I keep plugging away. I believe that God continues to use me to bless others, even when I don’t see it.

It’s important to have faith here. The race is long, and there is always much to be done. I don’t know what God has in store for my life. I just have to believe that He will continue to do a good work in me. I pray that God uses me throughout the rest of my life to change the lives of everyone around me for the better. That includes my students, both past and present. Here's to a future of making a difference with them and everyone else I meet.