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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Sunday, July 8, 2001

Sports do matter to almost everyone

By Cal Lee
St. Louis Football Coach

Football teaches you to become someone better than you thought you could be, says Saint Louis' Cal Lee.

Advertiser library photo • Sept. 25, 1999

From the current furor and attention surrounding the ILH football program, we have learned one thing that pervades all else: Sports matter.

They matter a great deal to our students, our parents, our alumni and our community. When you see the intense debate, the emotional level of commitment and the high public interest that this issue has spawned, you realize what an important role is played by a sports program.

Let me say immediately that I support the current ILH decision. These people had a hard decision to make and they did what they felt was best for the boys and for the sport.

But I want to talk about this issue from a slightly different viewpoint from that of just who is scoring more points over whom. It goes back to why I became a coach in the first place.

I remember what I learned from football: It was about being part of a team, learning to listen, giving up ego, understanding the value of practicing, submitting your individual desires to the good of the team, reaching beyond yourself to your inner spiritual reserves, never giving up, cheering from the bench, congratulating the winner when it wasn't you, and, in the end, becoming someone better than you ever thought you could be.

I ask you to re-read that paragraph and ask these questions: How do I succeed in life? How do I become a great businessman? How do I become a good family person? I think the things you learn from a sports program look awfully similar to the answers to these questions.

In short, a great sports program provides more than just a physical outlet. It is an integral part of a well-rounded school program. It complements the academic, social and spiritual learning that happens in a great school.

In fact, I'm proud to say that my football stars are also stars in these other areas as well. They have secured academic scholarships from prestigious schools, competed as national finalists in debate, been Brown Bags to Stardom contestants. In other words, they are great, well-rounded boys. I have every confidence that participating in football contributed positively to their character in every way.

No matter what the structure, the guidelines, the formatting of the season, let's not forget the real reason why we want our sons to play football. My success at Saint Louis is about far more than scores.

It's about seeing bright, energetic young men bring their successes on the field into the circle of their lives.