I recently received an email from the people organizing a program publication for the high school football team I volunteer with. They wanted some personal information from all of the coaches. After a few general questions about past playing and coaching experience and family and occupation, they included this writing prompt:
"And finally, please include a small paragraph (approx 50 words) about what makes you passionate about coaching football and/or what you are looking forward to most for the 2006 football season.”
Fifty words!? They must be crazy! Yes I know, a good writer can work within the constraints placed on him… but 50 words!? I think even Hemingway or Faulkner might have had trouble with that.
Here is my response. It's 134 words by the way.
The game of Football is an avenue for aggression. In a developed society which frowns on violence, men have found it necessary to channel their fundamental need for combat into the arena of organized sport. What makes Football ideal as a substitute for battle is that it requires cunning and wit in addition to brute strength and power. And it is this balance between mind
and body, between thought and action, which has made Football the passion of millions, and a passion of mine. The process of transitioning from player to coach has caused me to become passionate not only about the game of Football itself but also about teaching young men to play Football, and more importantly teaching them to transfer what they've leaned on the gridiron to the rest of their lives.
3 comments:
When I read this, I heard that particular THWACK of shoulder pad on shoulder pad.
Nice football exegesis.
Is that stephen Ayers kid, OL/DL for Sehome's Varisty,a legit player?
Who said I coached for Sehome? ;)
Yeah he's legit. He has offers from three or four 1-A schools, and he can play all three O-line spots. He'll play on Saturdays no doubt, and he may even have a shot at going pro. He's a bit undersized for that, but not by much.
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