story3412.xml

story3412.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

As I sat in my Kitchen nook finishing my breakfast I was about to turn off Good Morning America on NBC.I was the Head Football Coach at Montour High School at the time and preparing them to play a very difficult game verse Hopewell High School,Tony Dorsetts Alma Mater. Suddenly the special report came on by Katie that a small plane had smashed into the World Trade Center North Building. I could not believe that a pilot was that poorly trained that he could make such a costly error. As they spoke on the incident I thought
about how proper training is so important in every thing we prepare to do successfully. Have my Coaching Staff and myself prepared these young men to be at their very best this Friday eve so as to perform at their top potential.
Then 9:06 the report of the second plane which I watched on TV fly into the South World Trade Building assaulting it and all of it's patrons held inside. I totally realized it now was a Cowardly Act by enemies of our great country and felt embarrassed that I had still been thinking of a High School football game. I instantly began to think of the families of those Americans on the planes and inside the buildings. I felt horrific pain for them and theirs and wandered what can be done to hepl them at this terrible time. I knew I could only do what was in my control so I prepared to instruct my team of the assault on our country
and assure them America would do what it had to do to protect them as time marched on. I then had them take a vote if they wanted to play the game this week end or cancel
it as I spoke of the great American Spirit.They chose to play that week end and I know every American lost that day would approve and back them 100%. The teams took the field that week end holding the American Flag and exchanging them at mid field as a tribute to those lost and a promise that our Freedom would go ondoubted and their lives avenged.