Sports
I, ______ ______ , do hereby resolve for 2007
By: Mark Dewar, Sports EditorWednesday, January 10, 2007 4:42 PM CST
You make them. You break them.
Still, who could resist? Behold, a few willing good sports out there who have answered the call for their 2007 New Year’s resolutions.
Some stepped up with an absolute fire, including, not surprisingly, area motivational speaker/activist Joe Rhea.
Rhea is the former school football standout at Indian Trail Junior High Football in Olathe who amazingly overcame the temporary paralysis he suffered on the school gridiron in 1984 at the age of 14.
Today Rhea works to inspire others as the lead speaker for the Think First Foundation of Kansas City, an accident prevention educational organization at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Rhea gave his wholehearted approval to this undertaking, saying, “Wow. I think it’s great you want to put people’s goals in the paper. It is a great reminder for everyone to have them and write them down! Put them in a place where you are going to see them every day. If you do that, you will accomplish them.”
To a person, we credit each of the following athletic types who returned fire on my inquiry, who today are putting on display their willingness to put their personal goals out there in print for all the world to see.Best wishes for a happy and accomplished 2007 to all Sun area athletes and sports watchers!•
Kansas City Chiefs mascot KC Wolf, Dan Meers: “Actually, this year I turn 40 years old, so one of my resolutions is a commitment to maintain physical fitness. I want to make sure KC Wolf keeps those sexy 85-inch hips he’s got. My other resolution this year is for living my life for the things that are important to me and not just the things that are urgent. That means my faith and my family and having a whole lot of fun along the way. The three f’s: My faith, family and fun along the way. Like always.”
• Rockhurst High School head football coach Tony Severino, who lives in Overland Park: “I’m not a big New Year’s resolution guy. I make little resolutions throughout the whole year, so it’s not just one big one little goals in the off-season, goals in the summer, goals during the season, little goals all the time. My goal in 2007 is never to read another article ever written about Terrell Owens, the absolute ‘I’ guy in ‘team.’ I just refuse to read any more on that.
• Joe Rhea, motivational speaker/activist: “While I have many goals this year, I will give my most important three: 1) Personal: To constantly work on improving my marriage; 2) Professional: To finish my book; and 3) Individual: To get my golf handicap below six this summer. If I accomplish these goals, 2007 will be a fantastic year!
• Wendy Louque, assistant women’s soccer coach at Johnson County Community College: “We are free to lose that 10 pounds, work out more, pray more faithfully, spend more time with family and pay off the credit cards. The list can go on and on. But the reality is that those long lists of New Year’s Resolutions rarely become a reality. For me, the focus in 2007 will be on one word. You know the phrase, ‘Be careful what you pray for?’ Like when you pray for patience and all you get is trials, problems and situations in which you need to practice patience? Well, that really is what I want - to be more patient with my players, my husband, and especially, my children.”
• Rachel Halloran, the All-Sun Girls Golfer of the Year for 2006 and Blue Valley North senior: “One, check my cell phone messages and call them back; two, get my handicap down to a 1.5 or lower; and three, spend my freshman season at Marshall University (I orally committed over the holiday break) on the traveling team.”
• Kansas City Royals mascot Sluggerrr, Byron Shores: “Sluggerrr’s New Year’s resolutions for 2007 are: 1) No more ‘Desperate Housewives;’ 2) No more peanut butter cup chocolate concretes. (The tummy says yes, but the love handles say no!); and 3) No more 100-loss seasons. Hello, American League pennant!”
• Mike Dunn, head girls basketball coach, Notre Dame de Sion High School, who lives in Prairie Village: “To convince my junior forward, Kelley Murphy, to sing in front of the whole team. She brags about her singing but never wants to prove it!”
• Conner Teahan, senior football quarterback and basketball forward, Rockhurst High School, who lives in Leawood: “I would like to become the best basketball player that I can become and also up my participation in class, which hopefully will bring my grades up, even though they are pretty good.”
• University of Missouri-Kansas City freshman basketball guard Dominique Johnson, who played the early part of his high school career at Bishop Miege: “To win! I want to help our team win as many games as possible.”• John Owen, senior football, basketball and baseball manager, Shawnee Mission East High School: “I’m not too big on resolutions and goals, but I do have one goal in mind: Shawnee Mission East, basketball state champs!”
To contact Mark Dewar, call 385-6061 or send an e-mail to mdewar@sunpublications.com