Great story about my HS football team

1 small story I want to share that is unique to our football team...

Football cleats are always in desperate need... This past 2 seasons graduating seniors would donate their cleats to the team! Often this is the first "real" CHARIATABLE donation our players have made in their lives!

This program does  3 things:

1) Helps us have cleats for all our players

3) Teaches our players the spirit of giving to others.  Many of our boys come from social programs where they were the recipient of charity.  By donating their cleats they get to experience the oppisite end of charity.

2) It's become a "senior players right of passage" - For up to 5 years our players give their blood, sweat and tears to CI Football. Now they are moving on to their next phase of their life.  So after the last game, seniors individually come to the coaches room and "present their cleats to the coaches"  It's an emotional moment.  Many of my boys are moved to tears... They thank me for coaching, tell me how much they will miss football and many say, "I wish I had 1 more year"... I look them in the eye, ask them if they have any Regrets? they say "no"... I put my arm around them, tell them how proud I am of them and explain 1 last time that having No Regrets is all that matters!

Having No Regrets is a theme we talk about all year.  (Our team motto is NO EXCUSE - NO REGRETS!)  We discuss how regret is a horrible feeling that eats away at your soul.  You may be able to fool others into thinking that you don't have regrets - but ultimately you know the truth.  So we tell our boys - DONT BE "THE GUY" THAT HAS REGRETS!

This final conversation I have with my graduating players is at the heart of our NO REGRETS philosophy! Our boys realize (often for the first time ever) that if they gave 100% and did their very best - the final outcome is secondary.  They know that they can look back on the year without regret!  AND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY CARRY WITH THEM FOR LIFE...

Many teams talk about how football teaches life lessons.  At CI football, this is 1 example of how this is absolutely true!