"One of my first football coaches, Gene Saunders, was a man that was very influential in my life. He taught me many lessons, including respect for your mentors and people in general, but the biggest thing he taught me was not to make excuses. Coach Saunders was a gruff man, especially for dealing with 10-13 year olds, and basically said the equivalent "of excuses are like buttholes, everyone has got one and they all stink" whenever you tried to explain why you were late to practice or did something wrong. It wasn't that he was necessarily mad at you for not being able to do something, he just wanted you to own it and say I did it wrong, I need help, or whatever the real reason behind the problem was. This really stuck, but was reinforced in his own behavior years after he had been my coach.Coach Saunders also worked in a coal mine, and one day a piece of the mine wall sheered off and took his leg off just above his ankle. This was only 2 months prior to the beginning of the football season. With out the long story behind it he not only got his prosthetic foot/ankle but rehabbed enough to coach without the use of crutches. He did all this because he had promises the kids he would be back in time to coach them for the season. No excuses, he just did what he said. If he could do that we can all keep our word and not make excuses, even if it means being humble and needing assistance." - Taylor