Diane Ferdinand

To the editor,

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it." John Wooden

The 2004 Laconia High School Football Season has drawn to a close. The players, coaches, supporters and fans who were all a part of the excitement and challenges will move on to other responsibilities and occurrences in their busy lives. That is the nature of the world in which we live.

Personally however, as a fan and a proud parent of a player, I cannot see this great season conclude without some well earned "thank you's".

Thank you to all the players who were dedicated, disciplined, supportive and perhaps most important of all, "gentlemen" in the best sense of the word.

Thank you to the coaches who put it all together. Any youth sports team, in the final analysis, is a refection of the adults who lead them. Anyone who has struggled raising a adolescent envies the respect and work ethic you extracted from these young men. You have much to be proud of this season.

Thank you to everyone who supports sports programs at the high school level. You are unsung heroes who keep at risk programs going despite budget cuts and the belief by some, that sports "don't count".

Finally, thank you to my son and his teammates for showing all of us "old codgers", we need not fear. The future is indeed in good hands.

Diane Ferdinand

Laconia