Redding School District

Partnership Educators,

Saturday, September 24, 2005, was college football day.  Notre Dame was clashing with the University of Washington in Seattle.  It was a nationally televised game and some of you may remember.  Notre Dame took the opening kickoff.  The player who caught the ball fumbled it.  Notre Dame recovered but on their own one-yard line. 

Football coaches would tell you that when you are backed up on your own goal line, you keep it on the ground unless it is late in the game and desperation is your only option.   You run the ball in order to give some room for the quarterback away from the end zone.   Nevertheless, on this day, Coach Weis sends in another play that seems impossible.  He calls pass right.  In this case, his entire team knows why.  It was a promise.  Coach Weis had promised someone ahead of time that he could call the first play of the game.  He could call whatever he wanted.  He had called pass right.

The Notre Dame Coach, Charlie Weis, had befriended a small ten-year-old boy who was very sick.  Brain cancer was the diagnosis.  Montana Mazurkiewicz named after Notre Dame’s star quarterback Joe Montana.  This little boy was a huge Notre Dame fan all his young life and for encouragement, Charlie Weis had befriended him.  Charlie was at his house earlier in the week, brought him a football, and told him about Joe Montana, Charlie’s old roommate from College.  That is when he asked the youngster, “How would you like to call the first play of Saturday’s game?”  Montana responded happily with a pass right.

Nobody could have predicted that Notre Dame’s first possession would be on their own one-yard line.    Michigan State had just defeated Notre Dame the week previous and so they needed a good start and a win against Washington.   This was probably the last place that they should be calling pass right.  Coach Weis says to the team that we are not playing it safe we are running Montana’s play.

Out the offense goes with Brady Quinn at quarterback.  Standing in their own end zone the quarterback takes the snap and looks to the right to see tight end Anthony Fasano barely open waiting for the pass.  The ball is sent on its way and rests in the arms of the large tight end who turns to run.  His first move is to leap over a defender, which no one has ever seen him do, and then he runs for thirteen yards.   The Notre Dame Fighting Irish went on to beat Washington 36 to 17 that day.  Some would say, it was a victory on the shoulders of a young boy who called the first impossible play of the game.

This story is not about looking big to a sick kid.  It was about keeping a promise.  Little Montana had died the day before the game.   Mrs. Mazurkiewicz, Montana’s mother said, “He’s a very neat man. Very compassionate.  I just thanked him for using that play, no matter the circumstances.”

Every day, our partnership educators get up and go to work with kids and challenge them to learn at the highest level.   Learning can be frustrating and downright impossible sometimes.  I know I have tossed in the towel on some projects to only come back later to try again.   Usually, it is the encouragement of my wife or a friend who prods me back.  

Thanks to all who help our students learn hard lessons and work through their frustrations and fears by showing compassion and kindness “no matter the circumstances.”     

Have a wonderful weekend,

Rob