SPORTS July 24, 2006 Issue

THE SPIRIT THAT CONQUERS LIMITATIONS

ROB WOOD

I AM PASSIONATE about football ... bring on the contact ... focus on teamwork ... haul out last season's videotapes and develop new game plans. In the spring, players practice without pads, focus on individual skills. As summer ends, football camp begins, the pads are on, and everyone believes the championship will be theirs.

There's something very special about the anticipation of that first tackle, the thrill of that first score, and the joy of that first victory. Similarly, there are few experiences more rewarding than a season completed, the last tackle, the last whistle, the last tick of the clock.

As a player, I learned lessons that have helped me every day of my life. As a coach, I continued to learn as I watched and helped my players go through their own challenges.