Speaking
of Sports 

by
Bernie Fratto

 
The Good Hands People at NHS

October 12, 2011

The Novi High School Varsity Football program is in good hands. Very good hands.

I know, I saw it first hand and I trust my eyes, they tell me a lot.

I got to visit with the coaches and the team while observing their pre-game routine prior to last Friday's game vs. Northville. I haven't donned a football helmet since 1975, but I can tell you the energy in the room was exhilarating and I my adrenaline was pumping. I felt like playing again, right then and there.

I'm dead serious.

High school teams are measured by wins and losses. But high school programs and their coaches are ultimately measured by their lasting impact on the students who play. In other words, the life lessons gleaned far outweigh any other aspect of the game, or the games. Football taught me the importance of respecting authority and providing leadership. It taught me the value of understanding teamwork and the discipline that's needed to fit into a structured organization. That's critical since we're on teams our entire life.

But most importantly, it taught me to keep going when I felt like I had nothing left to give.

In football and in life.

We are all capable of doing more than we think we are, and good coaches can develop that quality. The Novi High School football program is blessed with good coaches. They're knowledgeable and they care.

There's an old saying; "I like to eat sausage, but I don't need to see it being made." Well, liking football is a common trait among Michiganders. Seeing how it's made is even more fun. It takes guts, heart, perseverance and stamina to play football. And it takes good coaches that can oversee all areas of the operation to make everything work.

If you're a parent of a current Novi HS football player, rest easy, your son is in good hands.

I know, I saw it with my own eyes... I trust my eyes, they tell me a lot.

And if I closed my eyes on Friday night, it felt just like 1975. For me that was pretty exciting.

One final thing. A good coach will always tell you what you don't want to hear and show you what you don't want to see, so you can become the person you always wanted to be.

I'll say it one last time for emphasis. The Novi HS football program is blessed with good coaches.

Go Cats...

(c) 2011 Novi Information Network
www.novi.org