• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

askAlana.com

askAlana.com - Helping You Learn to Trust Your Heart

You are here: Home / Stories / The Power of Passion: An Inspiring Story about a Football Game

The Power of Passion: An Inspiring Story about a Football Game

By Editor Leave a Comment

Playing high school footballIt seems everyone I am surrounded by is looking for inspiration these days.

I am surrounded by people in the workforce who have graduated, at a minimum, from the high school level. I would venture to say most of these older people are searching for something. I find this search fascinating.

What happens to a person once they leave school? Most kids I knew had dreams and aspirations to achieve so many things once they graduated. Do you remember your dreams, your aspirations as a teenager? Did you fulfill them? Or do you find yourself searching for inspiration to start one of your dreams?

So I ask people, “What is your passion?” Most people do not know what their passion is. And the people who do know their passion, do not pursue it. This puzzled me as to why? What happened to their pursuit? Was it left behind in high school? College? Their parent’s house?

I realized all of this while coaching football this year for Fauquier High School. I was a head JV football coach. At the JV level, I teach the kids too.

Tips from a High School Coach

Bond as a team: The sum of the parts is greater than the parts themselves. To understand the definition of commitment. To understand the concept of not giving up.

Every high school is full of kids who can learn the team’s offense and defense. But few teams have kids who are committed to the program, to forming a team relationship and having the attitude of never quitting no matter what the circumstance dictates.

The teams that exhibit these traits always have a chance to win no matter what their talent level. Not only are these traits indicative of a successful season but they also carry over into life. I try to teach each player there is life after football; football will comprise only a small portion of your life. So if my players exhibit the traits described above in everything they try, they will be very successful.

Austin Get’s His Chance

This year was a special year for the JV football team. I had a great group of kids who really came together as a team. Part of the reason was due to one individual named Austin Head. He is a running back (or RB – a person who runs the ball on offense) and listed as 5 feet tall, 100 lbs. By far he is our smallest guy (he was so small, he had to use two hands to hold the football). He never missed a practice, never talked back to the coaches, never asked about playing time.

Austin was 3rd string and would not get much playing time and knew this. But he loved playing football so much, that if he could only play by coming to practice, then that’s what he would do. He knew he was too small to play, but told me he did not want to have any preferential treatment because of his size. So I treated him like any other player.

Since he was 3rd string RB, it meant he ran the ball against our scout team (first-string defense). He never hesitated to run right at our first-string defense, and against my recommendation; I told him to dive down on the ground when he got near them because I was afraid he would get hurt. He would consistently run straight at guys who were 6 foot tall and 200 lbs, literally twice his size. Our defense would feel bad after some plays, but Austin would always get up and walk back to the huddle and continue on. During many practices, we would run drills with the Varsity players (all Running Backs would perform the same drills together).

Most drills involved tackling the other Running Backs. He would jump in front of other guys and call out the 1st string Varsity players. Quickly, the varsity guys were asking me, who is this guy? He never really got the best of them, quite the contrary; they usually got the best of him. I could not believe his resolve and was inspired by his love of the game.

During the season I made sure to play everyone each game at least one play. So Austin did not get much playing time, to say the least. He maybe got a couple of plays at most. But it did not matter to him. He got his fun in during practice.

Our last game of the year pitted us against our archrival. We had many players injured who could not play so in our pre-game meeting, I declared Austin our team captain in order to inspire the team. The team really got pumped up. Then I learned one hour before the game, our starting Running Back could not play due to an injury.

Now I needed to name a starting RB (we were already missing several RBs due to injury). So when we went through our pre-game walkthrough, I inserted Austin into the starting line-up. The entire team got fired up. Austin could not believe he would actually play in a game but would start.

In the first play of the game, our player gets tackled very hard by the opposing team. The next play is the same result. It is obvious to me and the rest of the coaches were too small and slow to keep up with the opposing team. We could be in for a long night. However, the next play changed the game, we scored a touchdown on a long run. Austin played the entire game, catching passes, carrying the ball, blocking for our other running backs and even scoring his first-ever Touchdown.

We won the game 46 to 6.

picture-footballAfter the game, I spoke to the opposing coach. He could not believe his team lost (their worst loss of the season). I could not believe we won (our best game of the season).

t was truly a magical game and I truly believe it had mostly to do with Austin inspiring our team. Every time he caught a pass or ran the ball, our team gave it a little extra. Austin Head loves the game of football. This love is what drove him to survive each practice, each drill, each hit. This love is what made him successful in his only (real) action during a game.

His love taught me, reminded me, of my aspirations as a teenager. He inspired us all during our last game and touched me forever. Austin may have played his last game (the Varsity team cuts players) at the high school level, but because of his desire, commitment, and team play, he will always remember scoring that touchdown and winning his last game. I know he is prepared to successfully continue his life after football and continue to strive for his dreams.

Now the question is, are you?

Copyright © 2000 by Joe Maurelli

This heartwarming and inspiring story was submitted by Joe Maurelli, a football coach at Fauquier High School. Joe: MaurelliJF@NAVSEA.NAVY.MIL

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Coach Joe Maurelli, Fauquier High School, inspirational football story

Reader Interactions

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search

The Undervalued Self by Dr. Elaine N. Aron

How to Overcome The Undervalued Self: Guide for Balancing Insecurities

By Editor Leave a Comment

How to Manage Anger

Dealing with Blame: How to Manage Anger

By Editor Leave a Comment

Recovery from Substance Addiction

Recovery from Substance Addiction

By Editor Leave a Comment

Integrating Inner Parts

Integrating Inner Parts

By Editor Leave a Comment

Mystic Cross

Mystic Cross

By Editor 1 Comment

Categories

  • Abundance (7)
  • Alana Insights (6)
  • Angels & Spirit Guides (6)
  • Audio Programs (5)
  • Awareness & Meditation (9)
  • Balance (5)
  • Beliefs (10)
  • Books (36)
  • Career & Life Purpose (47)
  • Community & Activism (9)
  • Decision Making (11)
  • Developing Intuition (21)
  • Dreams (3)
  • Earth Changes (11)
  • Film (2)
  • Goddesses & Fairies (31)
  • Health & Wellness (17)
    • Weight Loss (3)
  • Manifestation (17)
  • Music (2)
  • Past Lives (6)
  • Relationships (94)
    • Children (4)
    • Conflict Resolution (18)
    • Departed Loved Ones (14)
    • Pets & Animals (2)
    • Sexuality (3)
  • Self Expression (3)
  • Series (165)
    • The Authentic Self Series (17)
    • The Guide to the Other Side Series (17)
    • The Numerology Personal Year Series (9)
    • The Seven Sacred Steps Series (69)
    • The Soulmate Connections Series (35)
    • The Spirituality Series (18)
  • Spirituality & Transformation (14)
  • Stories (34)
  • Trust (7)

Recent Comments

  • Kenneth on Making a Commitment: Self Discovery and the Inner Critic
  • psychicvarmaji95 on Past Life Karmic Relationships
  • Lily Bridgers on Learn All About Fairy Houses – Hiding in the Garden is Where the Fey Folk Live
  • Kathy on Alana Summarizes the Soul Mate Experience
  • Kathy on Finding Your Soul Mate When You are Already Married

Tag Cloud

authentic self awareness body mind spirit relationship building intuition co-creating with others consciousness creating joy creative healing creativity Developing Intuition discovering your authentic self emotional healing essence of intention expanding consciousness finding-your-soulmate finding motivation finding purpose five senses heart listening heart mind balance identifying-personal-values inner voice inspiration intuition intuition training course intuitive healing intuitive listening life changes life purpose living in the present loving-relationships non-negotiable values numerology personal year cycles power-of-self-love power of intention relationship advice self-awareness self-love-exercise self love soulmate-connections soulmate-relationships spiritual guidance spiritual guide transform your life trusting your heart

Privacy Policy

  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Recent Posts

  • The Seven Sacred Steps Table of Contents
  • Finding Life Purpose Direction
  • Creating a Mission Statement to Entice Positive Change
  • Spirituality and Energy Healing Gifts
  • Trading Corporate Job for a Music Career

Recent Comments

  • Kenneth on Making a Commitment: Self Discovery and the Inner Critic
  • psychicvarmaji95 on Past Life Karmic Relationships
  • Lily Bridgers on Learn All About Fairy Houses – Hiding in the Garden is Where the Fey Folk Live
  • Kathy on Alana Summarizes the Soul Mate Experience
  • Kathy on Finding Your Soul Mate When You are Already Married

Categories

Abundance Alana Insights Angels & Spirit Guides Audio Programs Awareness & Meditation Balance Beliefs Books Career & Life Purpose Children Community & Activism Conflict Resolution Decision Making Departed Loved Ones Developing Intuition Dreams Earth Changes Film Goddesses & Fairies Health & Wellness Manifestation Music Past Lives Pets & Animals Relationships Self Expression Series Sexuality Spirituality & Transformation Stories The Authentic Self Series The Guide to the Other Side Series The Numerology Personal Year Series The Seven Sacred Steps Series The Soulmate Connections Series The Spirituality Series Trust Weight Loss

HeartCore Corporation© 2025

%d