It’s more than a game. It’s a challenge for young athletes to work together to strive for a common goal. It has long since been an expression of American values, passions and national identity.

It’s an opportunity for coaches to teach young athletes the value of hard work and fair play. It’s the anticipation of Friday finally arriving and the electricity you feel as the day drags on until finally you get to the field where the lights are on, the band is playing, the smell of popcorn and hot dogs is in the air.

In Minnesota, football is and always will be a fall tradition. Friday night lights belong to the generations. Now, let the whistle blow and the game begin.

Chuck Ross
President Minnesota Football Coaches Association