On the TunneySide of Sports November 25, 2019 #771 Up next…Count your blessings!
After further review…When you celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday with gratitude for all that has and will be coming your way, may I start by counting my blessings with thanks to all of you who read the TunneySide each week. As you may note we now number 771 and climbing!
This week, we bring a story from the past, but, oh, so appropriate:
This teenager lived alone with his father and they enjoyed a special relationship. Although small in size, he loved football and, though not of much ability, decided to play on his high school team. His father encouraged him but made it clear he didn’t have to play if he didn’t want to.
The young boy did play and never missed a practice or a game but was a bench warmer all four years. His father was always in the stands with words of encouragement and never missed a game as well. With his determination, the boy, now a young man, went to college and decided to try out for football. His coach kept him on the roster because of the spirit and hustle he always provided. When he survived the cut, he was so thrilled he called his father and said he was sending him game tickets.
Although he never got to play during his four college years, he continued — never missing a practice or a game. He was now a senior and his team made the playoffs. During a practice before that big game, the coach called him into his office and handed him a telegram. After reading the telegram, the young man swallowed hard and remained silent for a while. Then he said to the coach that his father had died that morning and was it all right if he missed practice that day. The coach said, of course, put his arm around the young man and told him to take the rest of the week off and don’t even plan to come back for the playoff game on Saturday.
The young man did show up for the game on Saturday. During the game, he pleaded with his coach to let him play – his last game. The coach figuring what harm could he do, and said, “All right, you can go in.” Once into the game, the players along with everyone couldn’t believe their eyes. This little unknown who had never played before was doing everything he could. He ran with the ball, passed, blocked, and tackled like never before, intercepted a pass and scored the winning touchdown. The stands were on their feet cheering and applauding.
After the game in the locker room, the coach came to him and said, “I can’t believe it! You were fantastic! How’d you do it?’ With tears in his eyes, the young man said, “Well, you know my dad died and though he came to all my games, you never met him. He continued, “My dad was blind, and today was the first time he could see me play. I wanted to show him I could.”
Will you give such encouragement to others with thanks for the opportunity you have to do so?
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