To my boys

           This time of year, when the pads are put up and the stadium bare, a coach really starts to examine the past year and if he did all he could.  I’m not at the high school, so I feel even more detached than if I was walking the halls with them.  The same boys I spent more time with than my wife haven’t seen me in a couple weeks.  I wish I could call or text every one of them every day, but other than they don’t have time for that, I hope that what I’ve taught them doesn’t require me to be there with them for it to come about.  I’ll pull a page out of Coach Brimer’s book and just put it here.  Maybe they’ll read it…maybe they won’t. 

To my boys:

            I promised you the first time you walked into that field house that I would never give up on you if you don’t give up on me.  When my daughter passed away this summer, I wanted to give up.  I wasn’t going to come back and coach this year.  I was going to go back on my promise and leave you there on that field without me.  You would have been just fine and probably never missed a beat.  Something happened though that stuck with me and I couldn’t shake.  #16 looked me in the eye after P’s service and asked me in his own way, “When you think you’ll come back around?” From that moment on, along with Ellen telling me to go, I knew I had to be there. 

            You wore my daughter’s initial on your helmet thanks to Coach Ballard.  That meant more to me than I ever could truly tell you.  My Thunder gang got to see me cry before the 1^st game because of it.  I no longer get to see my little girl, but I got a reminder every day when I looked in your eyes that she was there.  She would have been proud of you.

            You didn’t win every game and yes that sucks.  The thing is, in 10 years is that single game you lost going to matter more than all that we tried to instill in you?  If it does, then we as coaches didn’t get through to you.  Football isn’t life, it is part of life.  What you learned in all those summer workouts, team meetings, HUDL studies, and halftime adjustments will transcend touchdowns and scoreboards.  You are ahead in life because of the values you learned across Palmer Street.  At some point in life, you will come across a situation that will take you to your knees, but I promise that you will stand back up.  You will be able to handle what comes at you.  It is in you.  It might be buried deep, but so was that last 100 at 5pm in 103 degree heat.  Don’t ever give up; I almost did and I almost regretted a part of my life.

            I’ll always pick up the phone.  I’ll always be there to talk.  I’m not a Hall of Fame coach and I probably won’t ever have my name on some plaque for some crazy record.  I’m just Coach McCall who was never a hypocrite and told you how it was whether you liked it or not.  I kept it 100 with you all the time.  You hated me, you hugged me, and you might even have learned something from me along the way.  I’ll always ask you how you are and if you have all A’s in college because I care.  Always tell your Mom you love her, don’t waste an opportunity in front of you, and have fun.  You will make bad decisions along the way, just don’t let them define you.  Don’t let anyone define you.  You do it on your terms, not someone else’s.