WHEN WE LEFT THE FIELD YESTERDAY, I SAW ALOT OF UPSET FACES, AS WAS MY OWN.  I WAS UPSET WELL INTO THE EVENING.  BUT THE STARNGE PART IS THAT I WASN'T UPSET OVER THE LOSS, THOUGH I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT BOTHERED ME SO MUCH.  AFTER MANY HOURS OF GOING OVER THE DAY AND THE YEAR I FINALLY REALIZED WHAT WAS SO DISTURBING.  IT WAS THE GOODBYE.  SAYING GOODBYE TO THE TEAM THAT I WAS VERY PROUD TO BE CALLED THE COACH OF.  SAYING GOODBYE TO MY FELLOW COACHES WHO HAVE HELPED ME EVER STEP OF THE WAY.  THEN I ASLO REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T SUCH A FINAL GOODBYE, AS THOUGH WE WOULD NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, BUT JUST A GOODBYE BETWEEN GOOD FRIENDS.  BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE ALL BECOME, WE CAME TOGETHER WITH OLD FRIENDS, MADE NEW ONES AND ALONG THE WAY BECAME A TEAM!  SOME OF US WILL COME TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT YEAR AND START THIS WONDERFUL PRROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WITH THE SAME MAGICAL RESULTS.  FOR OTHERS WE MAY NOT PHYSICALLY BE TOGETHER AGAIN ON THE FIELD, BUT I HOPE WE WILL BE TOGETHER FOR ALONG TIME!  WHETHER YOU PLAY THIS GAME AGAIN OR NOT KEEP OUR MEMORIES OF THIS GREAT SEASON WITH YOU.  IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO PLAY THEN KEEP IN MIND THAT WE WILL BE WITH YOU EVERY TIME YOU TAKE THE FIELD, WHEN YOU MAKE A BLOCK, OR A TACKLE OR CATCH A PASS, WE WILL BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU, AND WHEN THINGS DO NOT GO SO WELL, WE WILL STILL BE THERE WITH YOU.  NEVER FORGET THAT!  EVEN IF YOU MISS THAT BLOCK OR TACKLE OR DROP THAT PASS, HEAR US SAYING" KEEP UP YOUR HARD WORK", YOU WILL GET ANOTHER CHANCE, "NEVER GIVE UP".  IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL YEAR FULL OF MEMORIES THAT I WILL CARRY FOR A LONG LONG TIME, AND I HOPE YOU ALL DO THE SAME.  SO WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER IN THE STORE, OR AT A RESTAURANT, OR ON THE FIELD, LET'S SAY HELLO AND THINK OF ALL THE GOOD TIMES THAT WE HAVE HAD, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS WHAT I WILL DO.  YOU HAVE ALL TOUCHED ME AS A PERSON AND A FRIEND, THANK YOU FOR A WINNING YEAR.

THANK YOU PARENTS FOR UNDERSTANDING OUR LOVE OF THIS GAME AND ALLOWING US TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR SONS.  YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, AS WE SAID BEFORE, THEY ARE ALL WINNERS!!  A VERY SPECIAL THANK TO MICHELLE DIADATO, YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT HAS MADE THIS YEAR A JOY.

TO ALL YOU, COACHES, PLAYERS AND PARENTS HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WITH YOUR FAMILIES!  I KNOW THAT AMONG  MY HEALTH AND THE LOVE OF MY FAMILY I WILL BE THANKFUL FOR ALL OF OUR FRIENDSHIPS THIS HOLIDAY. 

THANK YOU AGAIN,

 COACH GERRY