Football...

I have been INCREDIBLY blessed over the past decade. Seriously, I've traveled many cool places, met some of the coolest people, and I can contribute most of those opportunities to football. Some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "Yeah, but I bet having good grades helped with some of those opportunities!" And you may be right, but one of the biggest reasons I worked hard in the classroom was so that I could stay on the field! So again, back to football.

I've been thinking a lot about football lately, as we've begun our summer workouts at NLA (not currently, for you rule sticklers, as it's the Non-contact portion of the summer), and the biggest thing on my mind is not wins and losses but hoping and praying that these young men I'm coaching grow to have the same opportunities that I've had over the years.

First off, I met my wife because of football. Simply put, I wouldn't have gone to Northwestern if it wasn't for the football program there. That's right, baby! Thank the ol' pigskin that we're "happily ever after"!

Along with my wife, my best friend played football with me. My oldest friend played football with me. And many of the relationships that I built with some great men started early August 2000 on the field at NWC.

Over the past few months of being back in the Twin Cities, I've had the great pleasure of running into a few of the guys I played with. Shaking hands as a flood of memories come back is a great feeling. Sharing stories of "remember when..." never gets old. And hearing about growing young families and new adventures is energizing. Over and over, however, I'm struck by how the memories and old stories are never really about scores and championships, but about the REAL things. Playing Footkick under the Gateway Arch, A-Wall at our last Break-A-Way, Wes Hope serenading Mary Krauel, or even just hugging a fellow brother that's struggling.

I just started reading a book about a small town in Kansas where life revolves around the local football team. "Our Boys". I remember being one of those boys. Looking back, it truly was an honor. It still is, in fact. To know that on many occasions over the years I represented an entire community, school and all those who have worn those colors before me. Both the Blue and White of Silver Bay and the Purple and Gold of NWC. It's an honor to know that, even though it's a silly game, what we did on that field brought a sense of pride and even hope to so many. I know it did for me when I was too young to be on the varsity. In fact, it still does ten years after walking across the stage of high school graduation and five years after having my degree handed to me by the President of NWC (a former tight end, I might add!).

So, this is my promise to those of you who may know even the slightest of what I'm talking about. My number one goal for this summer and fall is to help the young men that I coach to understand that yes, it is a game. But, however fair or not, there is a lot riding on that silly game. Not only for the people who cheer for them in the same Green and White that they wear, but also for their lives.

Yeah, It's Been a While...

I know, I know, you thought I was about to become a blog failure for the third time. Not so! I want to chalk up this latest lack of providing insight into the life of Team Rojas to a busy schedule and certainly NOT a lack of blogging effort. For real, a lot has gone on though!

First, Jess and I celebrated our second anniversary! That's right, Team Rojas has been officially established for two years now! It was a great weekend (we feel anything worth celebrating should be AT LEAST a weekend!). We had the opportunity to house sit for some friends, which is super cool because it's more like getting paid to go to a bed and breakfast that no one else is at! It's a good thing we were able to make some money off of this deal too, because we also went to the Science Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls! It was super cool to read what was possibly the original hand writing of David of a Psalm and some parts of Isaiah as well! Seriously, words cannot describe! Unfortunately, the Science Museum is incredibly expensive. The silver lining here is that because we now owe our first born to the museum, it'll be easier to have family outings there!

The Team also just got back from doing the photography for our first wedding! It was pretty nerve racking because my biggest fear is that the bride will look at the photos and proclaim from the highest hill "My wedding was ruined because of these photos!" Fortunately for us, the wedding was in North Dakota, so the highest hill around won't provide much of a chance for many to hear Nadine's proclaimation. It was a really good time though! We got to see some of our friends from Williston, enjoy a slower pace of life for a few days, and spend some time with Jessie's family, which is ALWAYS fun because when I pick on Jessie's mom, Dorry, she uses my name kind of like a swear word: "TONY ROJAS!" If you have a mother-in-law, see if you can get her to do this with your name. Trust me, it can be addictive, so use this in moderation.

Before we left on our trip, Jess got to join the Eagles for some strength and conditioning. This was nothing more than a clever ploy on my part, since I know that she is uncontrollably attracted to me when she sees me doing something I'm passionate about. Clever ploy: Success! She did say, however, that it was fun watching the guys work. In her short time with the Eagles, she was impressed with their caliber of character and at how they work. And, she's right. These are some fine young men, and they make coaching easy. I'm looking forward to getting them under the lights on Friday night in the fall and watching them let out all the pent up aggression that has undoubtedly been building up against their tyrant of a strength and conditioning coach.

Finally, the owners have decided to relocate the team! For those of you slow on the sports analogy, Jess and I are moving. We found a great place just southeast of Hudson out in the country. We have the up stairs of a duplex. It'll be a nice little place for us to begin the expansion of the Team as well. That's the sports analogy that we're using for having babies, for those of you gifted in analogies outside of the sports realm. No, we are not pregnant! But, we are starting to situate and plan as much as you can for something like this. When we know, our trusted 3 readers will be like numbers 43, 44, and 45 to know!

This last part is a new feature that I'm going to give a shot for the Team Rojas blog, Highlights!

This week's professional highlight: I have a client who has been laid up for nearly two years with ankle surgeries. We have been working together for six weeks now and she says that she can never remember feeling better! Even going back to her 20's! This is why I LOVE my job. I get to add years to peoples lives!