Congratulations, and thank you to the 2016 Middlebury Union High School Varsity Football Team. The season I watched had many triumphs and challenges, building up in the quarter final game against Essex, and culminating in the semi-final game at Hartford. The growth and resilience this team demonstrated throughout this season was impressive, especially during the final game. The word that comes to mind is character, and it is especially important to me because it is a trait our family has recently focusing on teaching our son Luke.
Luke has worked closely with the Tigers as their ball boy, and is therefore very impressionable by their influence. My husband and I both took the opportunity to discuss the ways in which the Tigers demonstrated such great character both on and off the field last Friday night. By now you may have seen, heard or read about how they played with great heart, skill and good clean plays.
What you may not know is after the game they maintained positive attitudes, read acceptance letters to colleges, and recorded themselves singing happy birthday to our younger son Levi who fell asleep and missed what was supposed to be a post-game party with the team. No, my husband did not ask them to do it, he didn’t even remind them about it — one of the players asked him about it.
Wow was all I could say.
So thank you Tigers, for being such incredible role models for our boys. You have taught Luke the lesson of character that we have been working so hard to get through him. And thank you Tiger parents and families; you have raised some incredible young men.
Lastly, I would also like to thank the Tiger coaching staff — Dennis Smith, Jed Malcolm and John Nuceder — who put in so much time and effort to educate these student athletes. I know to them coaching is more than just winning games; they focus on the entire education and success of each student athlete. The coaching staff also includes a sideline crew without whom Dennis, Jed and John could not do what they do. So a huge shout out to Leonard Barrett, Peter James, John Rouse, Eric Denu, Adam LaPerle and Wayne Smith.
Best of luck to you all. Go Tigers!
Jennifer Nuceder
Salisbury