They marched with high knees and ran with the last dregs of adrenaline, back and forth, from the 18 yard line. Against the demands of aching muscles, and that injury that is for our boys especially profound-bruised pride, they ran. As a team, they honored their coaches' orders, and ran out- or maybe despite- their anger, frustration, and hurt. What better way to teach character, to model strength, than refusing to wallow in losses. By the simple exercises the team was forced to accept responsibility, and keep moving as a team. Their coach just guided them in their first steps after the defeat. I was more impressed by the conduct at a defeat than I would have been by a victory. These boys learn far more than how to play soccer.

There has been some talk about the underlying goals and purposes of MTC, but a simple hedgehog concept (thank you Mr. Collins) seems most appropriate: To give kids opportunities they would not have had otherwise.

Based on that perspective, when a teacher makes a student smile and makes it a little more likely that they will get something out of school for the day, the goal of MTC is being fulfilled. When we stay late to set up our classrooms, when we plan a great lesson, when we spend some precious time at a student's athletic event, when a struggling student makes a breakthrough, when a student sees a college campus for the first time, when students fill out college applications in our classrooms after school, when a coach lines his kids up along the 18 yard line to teach them a little something about pride, character, integrity....