My partner, Dave, and I, spent a portion of this past weekend visiting Seaside High School, in Seaside, CA. Coach Al Avila was a great host and I wanted to say thanks for inviting us. I also need to recognize Evelyn Orange, mother of Robert Orange, a Seaside lineman for without her praises none of this would have come about. Robert had attended LinemenInc 2004 and Coach Avila was so impressed with Roberts’s growth as a player and his contribution to the team this past season that he wanted to learn more about our program. So, off to Seaside we went!

We made a presentation to about 15 players and parents. First explaining our program and answering questions, and later discussing fundraising ideas. We wrapped it up by showing our promotional tape and you could feel the excitement growing amongst the players. After Coach Avila thanked us for making the trip, and stated that LinemenInc was something he definitely wanted Seaside to be involved in this year.

Sounds great, right? Well, yeah, of course. But why should coach be so sold so quickly? Why would he have no problem this early on making that commitment? Yes, I think we put on a great presentation but there must be something more. Well, as Paul Harvey would say, “And now, time for the rest of the story.”
Robert Orange never wanted to play football. Mom, Evelyn, and Dad, thought it would be good for their son. He wasn’t playing any other sport and rather than have him wasting his time or perhaps getting into trouble after school, they felt football was the answer. After all, Robert was a big kid; he looked like a football player. Looking like and being are two different things however.

His freshman year of football was as uneventful as would be his sophomore year. As a player, Robert was going no where. Coach Avila’s expectations of Robert as a varsity player were minimal; third string, second at best. He couldn’t be motivated and he wasn’t improving. Robert just didn’t want to play football and Mom just wasn’t ready to give up on Robert.

While on a business trip, Evelyn had a conversation with another woman about their son’s and athletics. Evelyn expressed her frustrations with Robert and her desire to keep him involved in something worthwhile. The other woman told Evelyn about LinemenInc and her son’s experience. Armed with this information Evelyn paid a visit to our web site and followed it up with a phone call to me. We discussed Robert as well as the camp and shortly thereafter Robert was told in no uncertain terms that he would be going to camp.

LinemenInc is billed as, “The toughest three days of your life” for a reason. On day two of camp, Robert got more than a little taste of that when he showed up late for one of the practices. It gets plenty hot in Stockton during the summer and the players are worked hard and kept on the move at all times. Being disciplined on top of the schedule simply adds to the challenge of camp. To his credit, Robert hung in there, made no complaints and completed the camp. He had a good camp, too.

Returning to Seaside, Coach Avila found a new Robert Orange. This Robert Orange was motivated. He suddenly had desire and heart. A newfound work ethic! Heck, a new player! Robert ended up starting on both sides of the line for Seaside High School this past season and he made the All League, Second Team. Oh, and if you didn’t know, Seaside played in the Central Coast Championship game this year.

I can’t tell you exactly what happened to Robert this year, why the change. And I won’t even try to say it was all because of LinemenInc. What I will say, is that Robert found something inside of himself this year and that it started in camp; something that was there all along but hadn’t come out. Camp has a funny way of doing that to a guy. Robert came without teammates and was challenged by the program and by kids from all over the western United States. More over, I think Robert was challenged by himself and he stepped up to meet that challenge. Congrats Robert! See you in camp this June.