So, there you are, cruising along with your life thinking everything is cool. You’ve been doing what you are suppose to, been working hard, feeling good about yourself and your future and then WHAM! Life kicks you in the mouth and challenges you to overcome.

As a coach, I’ve been telling players for years about getting knocked down and picking one’s self up off the ground. I’ve never gone into any detailed stories of personal experiences but have always said that you have to fight back. As coaches we often talk the talk. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Be encouraging, mentor, even push a little. Okay, in some cases push a lot but always give positive guidance.

Well, if you’re going to talk the talk you better be ready to walk the walk.

Several weeks ago, the head coach of our high school program was told his services were no longer needed. He spent six years giving to the program, the school and the boys and now it was over. That’s always a personal blow, a personal low. Oh, he was upset and somewhat confused but mostly I think he was hurt. Now, he could have found a dark place and locked himself away to cry over his spilt milk or he could have screamed foul to the world and gone about defending why this shouldn’t have happened to him. Instead, he started making some phone calls and landed himself a position coach job with a junior college.

LinemenInc’s own Jim House recently lost his Assistant Head Coach/D-line Coach position at San Diego State when the entire staff was let go. Jimmy is now the defensive line coach at Sacramento State.

And yours truly, who was promoted to JV Head Coach just two weeks ago by our new head coach, was let go by the school district one and a half weeks later. After four years I was simply told that my contract would not be renewed. No other reason was cited. Today, less than one week after being let go, I am proud to announce that Coach Jerry Wicks, at Granada High School, has hired me as his varsity defensive line coach. Thanks Jerry.

“When one door closes, another door will open.”

You can believe what you want but this is what I believe: God has a plan for us all. We don’t always see it or even believe that it is there but I believe it exists. The thing is, you can’t wait for it to happen. You have to make your life happen. Life is going to knock you down. That’s life’s job! You can either take it and stay down for the count or you can get up and fight back. Life isn’t fair and bad things happen to good people for no apparent reason. That’s life! Get over it and move forward or life will run you down.

Oh yeah, this applies to playing football too.

SPECIAL NOTE: This year’s first registered camper for LinemenInc 2006 is Brandon Seymour of Dayton High School, Dayton, Nevada. Brandon, see me at camp for a free T-shirt. Our second registered camper is Curtis Campbell of Granada High School, Livermore, California. Now why does Granada sound so familiar to me?