Mon, June 8, 2009

   University of Saint Francis Head Football Coach Kevin Donley had a quick question for the more than 100 young athletes gathered for the start of the 2009 Lifetime Sports Academy at McMillen Park.

  "What's a college football coach doing at the start of an opportunity for you to learn how to swin, play tennis, and golf?" Donley said with a smile.

  Donley quickly related his story about how he and Tom Jehl shared some radio time more than 12 years ago -- Donley starting a football program at USF and Jehl starting the Lifetime Sports Academy.

   "That's what sports and this academy is all about, learning a sport you can play all your life and just as importantly developing relationships with all the people you meet, compete with and against, that will carry you throughout your life," Donley said speaking about the "Importance of Sports."

  "This academy and USF football develop the same thing -- learning not just skills in football and golf and tennis and swimming, but developing lifetime skills as well -- character, integrity, developing relationships with people who help you get through sports. That's the message Tom had that has helped me develop our program at (USF)," Donley added. "Through sports you learn how to deal with adversity, disappoinment and success, perseverance, working to get better and improve -- all things you need to succeed in life."

  From that meeting more than 12 years ago with Tom Jehl, Donley and Jehl became close friends, and Donley, who is a member of the LSA Organizing Committee, has continued to promote Jehl's message in his absence. Jehl passed away in 2006 after battling cancer for several years, but his message will continue through Donley as well as instructors such as Michelle Fox, who was the first Tom Jehl Scholarship recipient through LSA at USF.

  "LSA is such a tremendous opportunity and I've been blessed to be able to attend USF through LSA," emphasized Fox, who recently completed her freshman year at USF.

   "More than 15,000 kids (age 8-18) have learned lifetime sports here in the past 11 years," Al Moll, Director of the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department said. "This is a Parks & Recreation signature program that's a model nationally."

   "Not only are the children served by this seven-week program with talented coaches and instructors, but the whole community benefits from the healthy activities that come to McMillen Park each year," Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry told the gathering. "Our challenge is to create awareness for this wonderful opportunity."

Read Steve Warden's column about LSA in The Journal Gazette