Guest Opinion, Ryan Nase

Guest Opinion . . . Ryan Nase
Football 2008

Ryan "Goose" Nase, a former star lineman at Judge ('02), Peddie School in New Jersey and then Lafayette, and a staunch supporter of this site from writing reports to helping with a basketball tournament we formerly held for student fans, is now an assistant coach at Admiral Farragut Academy, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
We thank him for wanting to express his opinion.
Ryan may be reached at rnase@farragut.org.

Ted's note . . . This was written in response to an article about Zakee Moody, who is starting at tailback
for new Pub member Esperanza Academy at 5-3, 130 pounds (maybe), and after he missed the 2007-08
basketball season due to a heart problem.

Ted, I just read your article online about Esperanza football player Zakee Moody. It really made me think about a few things and I thought it was a perfect set-up for what should be a great season of high school football not only in Philly but around the country. There are so many players and many more parents who refuse to allow their kids to live and learn on the athletic fields because they feel their child is too small, too weak, or not going to be successful. For so many parents high school athletics has become just for kids to go to college. I was lucky enough to play football at the Division I level, but I learned so much more from Tommy Coyle, the staff at Father Judge and my coaches at Peddie than merely how to play ball at the next level. I don't think I would be the man I am today without coach Coyle, the Maley brothers (played at Penn Charter; Rich coached me at Judge and his brother George at Peddie) or Frank DeLaurentis.
Football by no means came easy to me. I never stepped on a varsity field until my senior year and even then I wasn't that good. I fought with Jim Kauterman constantly about getting in shape and doing the things necessary to be successful on and off the field. My coaches never accepted anything but the best. That didn't mean a pancake on every play, but it meant showing them that the game meant something. We were never allowed to slide on anything. I think that's why I have the ability to look coach Kauterman in the eye now and tell him I was wrong, and thank him for helping me.

   I currently coach at a Class A school in Florida where we have 25 guys on the team. It is completely different from Judge where we had 25 lineman on the freshman team. So many kids refuse to participate because they don't think they are big enough, strong enough, or fast enough. Again, the parents are even worse. I wish I could bring Zakee to my school just to slap these kids in the face and say, "I'm 5'3, 130 and had a heart murmur! What's your excuse?!" I have the utmost respect for him and his coaches for the task of trying to enter directly into a varsity campaign as well.
   With your permission I would like to put this on the lockers of all my players as they play their first game and in the mailboxes of all the teachers and parents at our school.
   Thanks Ted.