How Long Does Encouragement Last?

[619 words] Hot weather does not bother me so long as I can feel a breeze. One of the hottest summers I can remember was 1987—not much of a breeze seemed to exist! I was entering my freshmen year of football camp. I readily admit I was intimidated! Our little high school was known for “good football.” I rode my bike to practice everyday that summer and was excited to be there, but was a little anxious to look around and see all these well-known athletes in our locker room as I was dealing with the heat, and then I learned “we little freshmen” were going to practice with the varsity for the first month of football camp. Back then, heat indexes were not monitored and frequent water breaks were discouraged! On top of that, we practiced everyday in “full gear.” Meaning, we were to wear all pads, we were…