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They
call him
Coach...
10/17/2006
I had the privilege of watching the Novi/Brighton game
from the sideline a couple of weeks ago, and I’d
forgotten how much impact a coach could not only have on
the outcome of a single game, but rather the influence
they could have on the lives of a teenager while in the
heat of battle.
Communication is
constant, intense and fast-moving. Plays are diagrammed,
adjustments are made, and then together the team and
it’s staff do their best to execute at full speed in a
sport that rewards violent collisions while keeping your
wits and producing results. In addition to your body,
you take your mind, your heart, and your soul on the
field with you. Anyone that’s ever worked up a sweat in
full pads for two hours knows exactly what I’m talking
about.
Coaching is teaching,
and coaching is an honorable profession. There is no
doubt that at some point in their lives, Coaches
Kellepourey, Osborne, Rowekamp, and Ray were mentored by
someone that connected with them. That person made them
think, helped them to see their potential, and then
invested time and energy, engaging in the right action
steps that would help them reach their ceiling.
Now, they are working
hard to pass along what they learned, and that makes
coaching a high calling.
There is a trend
happening in the High School ranks, and it’s a good one.
Many former NFL players have gone back to their roots,
and they’ve taken a challenge involving the game they
love… they’re coaching football on the prep level.
Imagine the stories
former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge could tell? A
14-year veteran with the NY Giants, Redskins, and Rams,
Rutledge was mentored by some of the greatest coaches of
all-time. He played for the legendary Paul ‘Bear’Bryant
at Alabama, then for Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs on the
professional level.
Now he is the present
head coach at Bell Academy HS in Nashville, Tennessee,
and Coach R is currently breaking in a sophomore
quarterback named Spencer Wise. “Use your lower
body…follow through…keep your eyes downfield” are just
some of things Coach Rutledge says.
And deep down he knows
this isn’t the NFL, nor even college caliber, but there
is one thing that is undeniable; “There’s nothing better
than working with kids who simply play because they love
the game.”
And there’s nothing
better than saluting the people in charge that devote
their lives to teaching young men about football and
life in the heat of battle…
They call them coaches…
For the record, Novi
defeated Brighton that evening, 14-7 to keep their
playoff hopes alive. And although this may not be Novi’s
best season in terms of won/loss pct., the coaches and
players have worked just as hard and the privilege of
playing on Friday night is still a big thrill.
And their hard work
will manifest itself later in life in the board room, in
business and the community, and with their families
while raising children of their own. The Novi Wildcats
couldn’t control everything that happened this year, but
they could and they do control their collective
reaction.
It takes a special
person to make the sacrifice of playing football, and it
takes special people to help guide them through the
gauntlet. Their efforts need to be recognized and
congratulated.
They call them coaches…
Right here in Wildcat
Country.
(C) 2006 Novi Information
Network
All rights reserved.
Bernie
Fratto's
column appears right here each
week during the football season.
Bernie is a member of the Minor League Baseball Alumni Association
and in his former life, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds Farm
System. He is an accomplished Freelance writer, and sought after keynote
speaker, appearing often at Award Ceremonies, Athletic Banquets, and
Company functions.
He is passionate about sports and the life-lessons
they teach. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real
human beings," Fratto said..."And these athletic endeavors often serve
as a metaphor for the game we call life."
Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a
frequent
co-host on the popular "Parker &
The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from
7-11pm. You can also catch Bernie co-hosting the Detroit Lions postgame
shows following Lion games on 97.1Free FM, the official
flagship station of the Detroit Lion Football
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