LEGACY LETTERS

Chris Tracy, Head Football Coach at Franklin County HS in KY, has recently started a new tradition where each Friday a different coach writes a letter to the team letting them know how much Franklin County football means to them.

The coach writes the letter and then reads it aloud to the team before they take the field.

Imagine ... keeping all these letters year after year in a binder ... a legacy, a history of the team and what it has meant to all these men.

Definitely give this a try with your staff. Here below is one of the letters.

Virtue=Strength,
Lou Judd
...

Dear Flyer Football Team,

This football program has and will always hold a special place in my heart.  Over the last ten years football has completely changed the course of my life. This spectacular game has brought me to where I am today and has given me my closest friends and some of my fondest memories along the way. Through football I have learned many valuable lessons that I carry in my everyday life. These lessons are mainly centered in Courage, Discipline and honor.  Without this football program my life would be very different and I can almost assure you I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today.

The last day of my sophomore year I got into an argument with a principal and ended up in handcuffs in the front office. The result was a suspension for the first 5 days of my junior year. With that came being banned from school property for the ENTIRE summer. If it had not been for Coach Ledford and Coach Walker I would have been off the team and probably headed to the school that I work at today. These great men stepped in at a tough time in my life and gave me a crutch to stand on. This crutch has put me in the place I am today and for that I can never thank them enough. Their attitude and belief in me gave me the courage to get back up when I was down and fight for the things I wanted in life.  

As a player I was never all state or even very good, but I cherished going to war with my brothers on Friday Nights. To me there was nothing like running out of that tunnel next to my brothers. The time spent with those guys and the relationships we built are irreplaceable and hold strong to this day. I only wish that I had taken time to cherish those moments. Looking back I was having the time of my life but was never able to enjoy it because I was too young to understand what the game meant to me. Live in the moment and cherish every second because it can all be taken from you in an instant. Enjoy your time here because four years is a small chunk of time in the big picture. It will have come and gone before you know it.

This team will always be special in my heart. Some of you guys have been with me since you were 6th graders and others I have met along the way who are equally important. Each of you is unique and special in your own way. This team has the ability to do anything you want as long as you set your mind to it. I ask from this day forward that you commit yourself to this team 110%. Go the extra mile at practice, spend the extra time watching film or studying your scouting report, buy in to your coaches and do more than what’s asked of you. These things will take you and team to the next level and let you capture your dreams.

Never forget, this program is bigger than you will ever understand.  There are 80 year old men who can barely walk that believe in you. There are handicapped kids who will never play a snap that love Flyer football. These are the people you play for. Always do right by those that have worn that flyer jersey before you and remember there is always a kid in the stands who wants to be you. Make them proud of what you represent.

In Closing, I want to leave you with this. The KHSAA 5A State Championship game is NOV 30th at 7:00. That is just a short 77 days away. You are not guaranteed the right to play in that game. It is an honor that only few will ever earn. This team has the “potential” to be there but “potential” is a dangerous thing. Darrell Royal the Hall of Fame Texas Longhorns coach summed it up best when he said “Potential means you ain’t done it yet.” At the end of the day potential is nothing unless you find a way to unlock it and turn it into success. The only way you are going to turn potential into success and go to Bowling Green is through blood, sweat and tears every day that you put on your helmet as a Franklin County Flyer. I love every one of you guys and look forward to seeing you achieve your dreams over the next 11 weeks.

Sincerely,
Coach James