Sports Build Character

After reading Madison Shockley’s Sept. 2 commentary, “Being a Player, Becoming a Man,” about his son’s entry into high school football, and the two Sept. 5 letters of protest and rebuttal (“Football Isn’t Preparation for Life”), it occurs to me that our service academies require competitive athletics, which may or may not be varsity football, for a reason.

There will be situations when being a nice guy like Mr. Rogers will not be enough. There may be some discipline, intestinal fortitude and perseverance needed. These are what Vince Lombardi demanded and developed in his Green Bay Packers.

Football isn’t the only way to develop these traits, but it certainly is one way, and completing “two-a-days” or “hell week” is a milestone for a boy in high school. As much as the game has changed, that hasn’t.

Bill Seckler

Corona