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Annual Stillwater football youth coaches clinic welcomes a special guest

Ponies staff hosts VAA and Junior High Coaches

By Admin, 08/19/13, 4:45PM CDT

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Annual Stillwater football youth coaches clinic welcomes a special guest

On Wednesday, August 14, the Stillwater Ponies coaching staff conducted their annual clinic for SCVAA youth coaches. This event is conducted to provide instructional support and to convey many of the techniques and drills used by the Ponies staff.  There were nearly 50 youth coaches in attendance and the Ponies coaching staff was once again very accommodating and thorough in their effort to spread their wisdom and helpful coaching tips to these youth coaches. The SCVAA Coaches are all volunteers from the community and their dedication comes from their own love of the game and interest in seeing a strong football program from top to bottom. Head Coach Beau LaBore, Offensive Coordinator Mike Puhrmann, Defensive Coordinator Mark Elmer and all the other assistant coaches spent time explaining the drills they were doing and why they would benefit the student-athletes and help the team build on its successful tradition.  A special thanks to all the Ponies players as well, who gladly accepted the shift in their practice schedule to accommodate the evening practice time, so that these youth coaches could attend after work.

The night concluded with a special treat for all in attendance.  Legendary Minnesota Viking Matt Blair came to speak to our Ponies players and all coaches in attendance.  Blair has a strong message about staying committed to your goals and leading an honest and clean lifestyle.  His message includes many stories from his past that can inspire all of us to never give up on our dreams.  His own football story is one that includes his effort to overcome many obstacles and ultimately achieve success in the game that he loved so much.  Blair also emphasized the importance of be a multisport athlete, one of the keys to his successful development.  Blair played college football at Iowa State University and was a second round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1974. He played 12 seasons for the Vikings and was selected to play in the NFL Pro Bowl sex consecutive times. He retired in 1985 and due to his hustle and drive is still third in the NFL record books for recording 20 blocked kicks in his career. In 2012, Blair was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor.

Special thanks from all of us in the Stillwater football community for the time Blair took to personally inspire and share his stories.  It is great men and members of the football community that we want our young student-athletes to admire and look up to as they strive to grow and achieve their own dreams.