It's more than a Friday night game

Coach's Comments, by Dan Michael

When I was asked to write this column for the Frontiersman, I was at a loss as to what information I should attempt to share with its readers.

I thought about all of the enjoyment that this year's version of the Wasilla Warriors' football team has given me. I thought about all of the kind words people have shared with me following yet another down-to-the-wire victory.

I thought about the impact that my being a football coach has had on my wife and 5-month-old son. But mostly, I asked myself what makes high school football so special in our community.

There is definitely a small-town feel to Friday nights under the lights at Veterans' Memorial Field. It seems to me that the weekly football game is a social event as much as an athletic contest.

People line the sidelines and fill the bleachers not simply to watch some adolescent boys run into each other but also to catch up on the week's news and events, to plan weekend outings, or to spend some needed down time with family and friends.

Football also conjures up an "us versus them" mentality. Whenever a Valley school is the opponent there seems to be a little more spring in the step of the players and a lot more volume in the voices of the fans.

Football at Wasilla this year has shown me that when everyone pulls together, an amazing thing happens. People become willing to sacrifice their own glory for the good of others. I have never been a part of a team more willing to disregard statistics and individual achievement than this year's Warriors.

An awful lot of learning takes place on those Friday nights. The players obviously learn about teamwork, sportsmanship, and the rewards for hard work.

The coaches learn about the resiliency of young people and the need for composure.

The adults in the stands learn a lot as well. They learn about the "valuable resource" that complains about taking out the garbage and sleeps in on Sunday mornings. They learn that the young men of this community are tough, intelligent, fun-loving, and diligent.

In the troubled times that are ahead, we could all learn a lot from the young men who play football throughout the Valley, the state, and the nation.

We are all going to learn about sacrifice, teamwork, diligence, and dedication.

Football on Friday nights reminds us of the values our country was founded upon. Maybe more importantly, it reminds us of what we have to fight for.

Dan Michael is the offensive coordinator of the Wasilla Warriors football team.