Laconia High School Friends of Football

To the editor:

It is very discouraging that there is such controversy regarding McDonald’s sponsorship of the MVP trophy for football. It has been a tradition for thirty years that many of our young men strive for, as Phil Estes, the first recipient in 1976, will attest to. It is an award that goes to a player who not only is the top performer for the team, but the player that exemplifies what it really is to be a Sachem football player. The most defining factor of the award is the fact that it is voted on by their peers. This tradition has been passed on for so many years from Coach Fitzgerald to Coach Kozens quite smoothly. However, we, as the Friends of Football have been placed in a very awkward position in the last two years.

Two years ago we were informed that the school would not allow the presentation of the award. Then 48-hours prior to the banquet, we were instructed to allow the presentation, and that Mr. Freeman and Mr. Chase would invite Mr. Larry Johnston and his wife to the banquet, an honor which Friends of Football had previously had, as we were paying for the guests’ meals and making necessary arrangements. This past year, we were placed in an even more difficult situation, as communications had broken down, and we, along with Coach Kozens, had to scramble even to get Mr. Johnston a chair and make things work smoothly. We had been totally unaware that Mr. Freeman, at the last minute, had invited Mr. Johnston to the banquet.

What is even more shocking is the statement made by Mr. Freeman saying that football gives off a picture of “preferential treatment” with the MVP presentation through McDonald’s sponsorship. This is a stereotype that is very difficult to overcome, and for this to be expressed in a public session by the principal of LHS

is obviously detrimental to the entire program. Often people are left with the misconception that football gets a “free ride” from the city to exist or much more than other sports and activities. Do the administrators and others truly realize the countless hours these young team members spend in fundraising for their own program? In a typical year, they work the downtown Vintage Bike Race, clean up the speedway on Bike Week, work the Mooseman and Timberman Triathlons, clean up at the NASCAR races, and sell their Sachem Discount Cards.

To also assist in the program, the Friends of Football do all of the following and more: Put together and sell a program book, sell 50/50 raffle tickets, and sell Sachem clothing such as t-shirts. Any funds we acquire go toward the team’s game and practice uniforms and protective equipment such as helmets, as well as footballs, practice equipment, and even clothing, i.e., belts, socks, and travel sweats.

Besides that, our funds go to pay the game officials, as well as their costs to travel for scrimmages.

Many people may not realize that the majority of the maintenance of the football field is performed by Coach Kozens himself. He does the fertilizing and mowing during the summer until the season begins and the regular maintenance staff takes it over. Many sports organizations share the use of the football field, yet the only supplemented financial support is received from the Laconia Youth Football program (formally known as Pop Warner) and Laconia High School Friends of Football. This financial support assists with seeding the game field, repairing sod, and fertilizing.

It is because of this support and the coaches dedication the players have a top notch field to play on. This past summer, the press box, concession stand, and score board were painted by the football players with supplies financed by the football program. The upper field (Bobotas) was aerated and seeded, while a practice field goalpost was added; again, paid for and completed by the football program. Contrary to most beliefs, the football program does not receive one cent from the gate monies or the concession stand. Concessions revenue goes to the Key Club; all funds raised at the gate and for reserved seats go to the city’s “General Fund.”

It should also be noted that, in addition to fundraising, the football program stresses community service. Each Saturday morning during the season after grueling practices and viewing football films, the players police the entire property, leaving the grounds spotless. Along with that, the team has painted day care rooms at the Huot Center, been involved with the community clean-up on a Saturday each spring, volunteered for the Main Street Program, help people move furniture, raised thousands of dollars at the Breast Cancer Walk, assisted with the youth preseason football camp, as well as carved pumpkins and handed out candy for Halloween.

All of this goes beyond what the public sees, as Coach Kozens spends countless hours tracking and nurturing each and every player to make them “Good people first, and good players second”— the motto that Sachems football goes by. The result is that our team continually presents the community with a terrific season by showing us that by all working closely together, we can reach a common goal. People like Larry Johnston do so much to reach this goal. We are a strong community, and it is time that we come to appreciate just how much the dedication and sincere interest in our youth he displays to help keep us strong. The MVP trophy is a symbol of this effort; let’s keep the tradition.

Laconia High School Friends of Football

Cheryl O'Hara, president