9 Nov 2013
Keith Johnson is a coach of the Stormin' Wolves. His teamed invited an Inner City Youth Football team to travel to San Diego County and play a game of football. This is his letter to the other team's coach.
Coach,
First and Foremost let me start by thanking you and your team for traveling to Escondido, CA to play the Stormin’ Wolves in a post season “Bowl Game”. The distance traveled and the willingness to do so show a tremendous amount of character and dedication to the betterment of your team. The Stromin’ Wolves appreciated the effort and also benefited from the experience.
As you are well aware, Coach, this was a very hard fought, hard-hitting, physical game that stayed very close until the 4th quarter. Often times while coaching youth football over the past 7 years I find that in these types of aggressive games the coaches and eventually the players as a result tend to forget about sportsmanship! I am proud to say that neither team failed in that regard this past weekend. I am proud to say that I was a part of such an amazing game that was hard-hitting and extremely aggressive, yet maintained the goal we all strive or should strive for as Coaches and that is that we were able to teach the love of the game through sportsmanship and integrity!
Coach please relay to your players that I am proud of their performance, they carried themselves very well and played very hard, I thought they were polite, well disciplined and above all young gentlemen! That is a reflection upon you, your staff and their parents. To the So Cal Falcons Players, “You by far were the best example of what an opponent should look like that we faced all year.” Regardless of the score board Falcons, you young men played like champions!
Coach one last comment, at the end of the game when I asked to have all the boys kneel in the center of the field instead of the traditional gentlemen’s line and we did so….I have to share with you that, that moment will never be lost on me and will remain with me forever as a Coach!
When after you and I said what we said to each other’s teams, the boys were asked to shake hands as we departed and instead they all stood and un-prompted forgot the handshakes and hugged each other and exchanged gratitude for the game and the experience! That moment re-affirmed my love for coaching and I hope it did the same for you. Several of the Stormin’ Wolves parents mentioned that moment to me since the game and simply stated “that is what this is about.”
Coach I look forward to the next one and hope you will accept my open invitation to play the Stormin’ Wolves for the next few years to come!? Enclosed with this letter is a small token of appreciation to your team from ours.
Keith Johnson Falcons Youth & Family Services Southern California Falcons 323-864-8781 www.fyfs.org
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