Our coach received a phone called before practice the day before the game telling us that state officials were thinking of canceling the game and declaring Co-champions because of the severe weather. We were asked if we would accept such a decision. "No way", was our response. This was our year. We were not going to get this close and not take a shot at the title.
That night my father came to me and sadly announced that he would not be able to attend the game. He had to deliver the bread to the stores and the site of the game was over a three hour drive from his route. He vowed to listen to every play on the transistor radio. Consumed with the anticipation of the game I acknowledged his comments without fully noticing his regret.
The next day as game time approached I couldn't help thinking about my dad. As we arrived at the stadium we found the field buried in snow. The goal posts stuck out above a six to eight inch blanket of snow. Someone asked if snowshoes would be allowed as legal equipment. Undaunted we dressed for the game and began our warm-ups.
Frustration grew as both teams struggled to a scoreless first half. Slip, slide, fall down, dropped pass, missed blocks, fumbles were all either team had accomplished. There was a growing sense of urgency that time was running out on our dream.
In the locker room at half-time, Coach Reagan reminded us of all we had been through to get to this moment. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out the card. Right there in front of us once again was our vision. "Do you want this?" he said. That is all he needed to say.
As I lined up for the second half kickoff I happened to looked up and noticed a blue and white bread truck pulling into the parking lot. Dad had delivered the bread and driven over three hours to see the second half of the game.
Playing conditions were as tough the second half as they were the first, but our determination won out over the playing conditions. We scored 34 points in the second half on the same field we couldn't score any on in the first half. Our year-long dream became reality. To this day I still have my card.
Years later I had become a teacher and coach. Early one morning I was awakened by the sound of the telephone ringing at 5:30 A.M. As I struggled to answer the phone I'll never forget the sound of the sheriff's voice on the other end telling me that my dad had just been killed in an automobile accident on his way to work. Cattle from a nearby farm had broken through a fence and wandered onto the highway. Being a dark, rainy morning my father never saw them as he came over a ridge. The impact spun the car sideways in the highway before a semi-trailer collided with it. He was killed instantly. As I listened to the story I could hear my heart beat in my ears. I hung up the phone devastated.
For long time after that things really didn't matter to me. I went about my life but I really didn't care. It felt as if my heart had been torn away and in a sense it had. I went to work. I still taught school but I was just going through the motions.
One day I was on the school playground supervising a first grade recess when a little boy walked up to me. As I looked down at him he reached up and grabbed my hand by my last two fingers - just like I use to do to my dad. In that moment my father came back to me. In that instant I realized that even though my father was gone - he had left me something behind. He had left me his smile. He had left me his compassion. He had left me his heart. When that little boy touched my hand I realized that all these wonderful gifts that I had loved so much about my father could be passed on to others. In that moment I understood the meaning of the word heritage.
I now spend my days passing on that heritage to my 8 year old stepson and 3 year old son; a heritage not only about fathers, sons and sports. A heritage filled with love.
- Tom Krause
Play Catch With Me Dad
"Play catch with me-Dad?"
I hope you don't forget-
About the small kid at home
With the baseball and the mitt.
I know that you've been busy
With important things all day-
But it makes me feel so special
When you take some time to play.
Learning how to throw and catch
Don't mean that much to me.
It's just being with you
That makes us family.
So even if you are feeling tired
From the day that you just had-
Please don't forget
To play catch with me-Dad.
