Just braggin'

[Carl Martin]

Hey guys, I've got to tell you about our local high school football team, the Menominee Maroons. Yesterday they won the state division 5 semi-final and will play for their second consecutive state championship next week.

The boys haven't lost a game since the end of the 2005 season, and consistently play much larger schools - many of them private schools that "recruit" players. Their coach is 73 years old and has been leading the team for 39 seasons now.

In a small town - less than 9000 - that has seen a large percentage of our jobs go overseas, creating high unemployment and "two income families" (read both mom and dad working for $6 and hour), it is so wonderful to have something to be proud of.

WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Michigan's Marauding Maroons (Link to Green Bay TV station news story. Both text and video.)

Carl

[frostybrad]

thats great news!!!! enjoy it while the season still going!!!! I know that in small towns like that, usually theres a sport that keeps the town going!!!! Just like the movies, everyone is involved!!!!!!!!

[Quakindude]

Small town football is an absolute joy to watch. We go to my daughters high school games all the time. They are doing pretty good too, although not to the state level this year.

Good luck to your boys!

[screwballl]

not bad!
Be sure to check out the local high school here:
Niceville High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Carl Martin]

Screwball, whoever wrote that article needs to do a bit of editing:

Niceville High School has gained some notoriety from its Athletics department.

notoriety n. The quality or condition of being notorious; ill fame.

Yes, small town football is exciting stuff, especially when folks in these declining and impoverished places have so little hope and little to be proud of other than the younger generation.

Carl

[Capper]

Yeah, for a lot of kids in our society, sports is their only chance to get ahead, and its sad when you stop to think that basically 1% of all athletes turn professional.

On an unrelated note, it makes me think of the movie "Friday Night Lights" (Not the stupid series)....if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, Billy Bob Thorton is a great actor.

[Carl Martin]

Originally Posted by Capper

Yeah, for a lot of kids in our society, sports is their only chance to get ahead, and its sad when you stop to think that basically 1% of all athletes turn professional.

Even though only 1% "make the big time," athletics serve as a great teacher: value of hard work, persistence, accountability, setting goals, learning to recover from defeat... All these are important lessons that will be of tremendous value as the young athlete progresses through life.

I've never seen Friday Night Lights; will have to rent the DVD.

Have you read John Grisham's Bleachers? Good read. (Short too!)

Carl