"nice Guys Do Finish First"

[PerryG2480]

I posted a while back that Todd Dodge was awarded the Citizen of the Year for the City of Southlake. Here is the article...good stuff.

http://www.southlakestyle.com/AboutSouthla...inishFirst.aspx

Mentor, respected, successful and dedicated; all words used to describe Southlake’s 2006 Citizen of the Year award recipient, Todd Dodge. Annually, the Southlake Chamber of Commerce welcomes nominations from the community at large for an individual or organization that has played an integral part in enhancing the Southlake community. Nomination forms are then reviewed by the Chamber’s board of directors who look for the nominee with the most impressive body of work focused towards community leadership and volunteerism for the economic, civic and cultural well-being of Southlake.

Dodge now reigns as the most recent recipient, following the paths of other prior winners including SPIN, Pieter Andries Hye and Greg Last. Naming Dodge to this honor was no easy task as he was amongst 8 finalists who are all highly regarded city leaders and business professionals with equally impressive entrepreneurial minds and giving hearts. Names we all know and admire were among the final 8 for Citizen of the Year Honors; Brian Stebbins, Roxann Taylor, Kerry McGeath, Tommy Pennington, Liz Hendricks, Dr. Shereen Miller and Ann Wise.

It is quite easy to recognize the accomplishments which have elevated Todd Dodge to the top tier of national high school football coaches. After accepting the head coaching position in 2000, Dodge and his staff led the Dragons to a 98-11 overall record which included back-to-backto-back 5A Texas state championships and 4 state championships in the last 5 years! Such an impressive record beckoned the national stage to take notice, which they did by honoring him as National Coach of the year two years in a row (Shutt Sports in 2004 and USA Today in 2005).

NFL coaching legend Bill Parcels proves he knows Dodge well when he says, “he has built a team and a philosophy that has staying power. In my personal dealings with him, I was impressed with his knowledge of the game, his dedication to the profession and his desire to succeed.” Qualities such as these indeed make Todd Dodge a great coach however; it’s his underlying philosophy which has bred this year’s “Citizen of the Year”.

Get to know Dodge personally and it is just as easy to see why he is so well respected beyond the fortress that is Dragon Stadium. It is not just the record, the titles, personal awards or the 25 plus Division I football signings that make Dodge this year’s most celebrated citizen. It is the philosophy of who Dodge is and what he does that has enabled him to transcend into the ranks of community leader in one of the most community oriented cities in the country.

“Treat others how you would like to be treated.” If you’re one of his players you know you will always have his respect, his word and a true partnership for the benefit of the team. If you are a CISD parent you know your child will have a role model of the highest integrity. And if you are a community based organization you can expect he will match your enthusiasm and do what he can to help the cause.

For the past 7 years, the young men of Southlake have learned the teachings of Coach Dodge and his staff. Teachings which remind them they are members of a team that is much greater than any one individual. Dodge says “I’m most proud of how year in and year out the kids continuously raise the bar and develop as a team where star players don’t get too big headed and role players buy into their specific roles.” These lessons are learned as early as pee-wee and for many continue beyond high school and into adulthood. Dodge lets his players know that his door is always open when they come home for a visit. He says “come by and see us…after you’ve seen your momma.”

Dragon DE Kyle Russo says “I learned to give 110% and keep going.” Keep going he will, as he and LB Justin Padron have both accepted 4 more years of Coach Dodge’s teachings as scholarship players for the University of North Texas (UNT). Dodge graciously admits, “It means a lot to me that players of their caliber continue to see the values and sense of worth in the program we’ve built together and that we will work to put together at UNT. They are both fabulous players that could have gone a lot of different places but they wanted to stay aboard with myself and my staff.” Dodge continues to say that “in the future we hope to get even more players from the Carroll program because they are Champions, and we want Champions playing for us at North Texas.”

What does Coach Dodge mean to the community?

Giovanna Phillips, President of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce says “The impact of Coach Dodge to CISD and its students is immeasurable. He’s shown the importance of character to individuals and institutions and provided students with life lessons that they will be able to carry with them throughout their lives. He’s been a mentor, leader, and no doubt a friend to so many. He is proof that nice guys finish first!”

Successful real estate agent and Carroll Dragon parent Carol Russo says “Southlake is really blessed to have a leader and representative like Coach Dodge. He speaks at the Chamber of Commerce, local meetings as well as on the national coach’s circuit. Coach Dodge and his staff are responsible for raising men of character. That is why the Dragons are successful on the football field!”

Coach, what does the award mean to you?

When asked about his thoughts on being named 2006’s Citizen of the Year, Dodge humbly stated “People know the kids are good for our program and we are good for them. I’ve really grown to call Southlake home because of the community’s attention to detail, the attitude that it takes a village to raise a child and the trust that we all put in one another to successfully raise our children.”

Ultimately Dodge says “it is a sense of pride to have my name, along with my coaching staff, associated with such an honor in such a well respected community.”

We all feel the same sense of pride in our association with you.

Congratulations Coach!

[greenminer]

nice

[SilverEagle]

the attitude that it takes a village to raise a child and the trust that we all put in one another to successfully raise our children.”

OHMYGOD! He used a phrase that Hillary Clinton has also liberally (double-entendre intended) used.

Gee, what are all you Hillary Haters/Todd Dodge lovers going to do now.......

[emmitt01]

the attitude that it takes a village to raise a child and the trust that we all put in one another to successfully raise our children.”

OHMYGOD! He used a phrase that Hillary Clinton has also liberally (double-entendre intended) used.

Gee, what are all you Hillary Haters/Todd Dodge lovers going to do now.......

Claim that the phrase is patently republican to begin with and Hillary is evil for stealing it.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Funny.!!!--

---We just need to recognize that the worst of people sometimes have good ideas and the best of people sometimes have bad ideas.

---Our interstate highway system was "borrowed" by Eisenhower from Hitler's Germany who recognized that the "autobahn" was a great idea. The whole purpose was a bit different, one was to move troops in as hurry, the other to help commerce and transportation in general. Building the autobahn also created construction jobs for unemployed German's during the world-wide depression.

---No one is all good and no one is all bad .... (although a few get really close to the all-bad)

---Too bad a lot of our politicians think the other party is all evil and that they are all good. Neither is true. This wise accepts good ideas from whatever source is responsible. The "It takes a village" is one of those comments... we all are the result of everyone we have known...good examples and bad examples. We once had a neighbor that was a great role model of what not to do... and my kids realized it ( see Dean Wormer comment below).

Nice guys can finish first..... if they try to do what is right, listen, and try to get along with others and not belittle those who disagree or compete with them. This was the big difference in Tom Landry and some that did not succeed as well. Congratulations to T.D.

Edited March 21, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Mean Green 93-98]

Great article! I somehow doubt that his use of "it takes a village" meant that he believes the government should usurp the role of the home.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Great article! I somehow doubt that his use of "it takes a village" meant that he believes the government should usurp the role of the home.

Neither did the original comment... although some dishonestly tried to "paint " it that way. The point was that parents, coaches, teachers, friends, neighbors and even government have an influence on children's lives and what they become. .

Edited March 21, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Mean Green 93-98]

Neither did the original comment...

I agree. It was originally an African proverb that Mrs. Rodham-Clinton tried to use in having the government usurp the role of the home.

[SilverEagle]

I agree. It was originally an African proverb that Mrs. Rodham-Clinton tried to use in having the government usurp the role of the home.

I would like to hear a direct quote from her that corroborates this (in my opinion) dishonest spin on her use of this very apt African proverb.

[Quoner]

I would like to hear a direct quote from her that corroborates this (in my opinion) dishonest spin on her use of this very apt African proverb.

CLINTON-DICKEY IN '08!!!

[Mean Green 93-98]

I would like to hear a direct quote from her that corroborates this (in my opinion) dishonest spin on her use of this very apt African proverb.

My friend, perhaps you are oblivious to Mrs. Rodham-Clinton's love of big government and use of the federal government to solve every problem. And that, to her, is what "village" means. Is she using this phrase to suggest that we all need to be good influences upon the children in our community, or to impose more government programs upon us? Direct quote from her book: "Imagine a country in which nearly all children between the ages of three and five attend preschool in sparkling classrooms, with teachers recruited and trained as child care professionals. . . . More than 90 percent of French children between ages three and five attend free or inexpensive preschools called écoles maternelles. Even before they reach the age of three, many of them are in full-day programs."

Coach Dodge applied this phrase much more according to its original intent than did Mrs. Rodham-Clinton. (Trying to get this thread back on track).

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it...

from : "Cool Hand Luke" ...

----Seeing that kids get BASIC health care when parents can't afford it is not exactly about big government. Of course my view is if you can't afford them don't have them, but that brings in another subject that doesn't need to be mentioned here... It seems to be the Christian and decent thing to do is help kids when they need it, they did not ask to be born and are not responsible for the situation they are in...... Don't always trust people to tell you the truth about the contents.. maybe you should read it instead.

---I am no fan of HRC, but as I stated earlier even people I don't care for sometimes have good ideas... ie. have an open mind to others even if you don't care for them, I thought that was one thing a college education was supposed to teach.

-30-

Edited March 21, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Eagle1855]

Cool Hand Luke is one of my all time favorite movies

(just thought I would add my piece to this totally derailed thread)

Great article, too bad the thread has been completely jacked!

[SilverEagle]

My friend, perhaps you are oblivious to Mrs. Rodham-Clinton's love of big government and use of the federal government to solve every problem. And that, to her, is what "village" means. Is she using this phrase to suggest that we all need to be good influences upon the children in our community, or to impose more government programs upon us? Direct quote from her book: "Imagine a country in which nearly all children between the ages of three and five attend preschool in sparkling classrooms, with teachers recruited and trained as child care professionals. . . . More than 90 percent of French children between ages three and five attend free or inexpensive preschools called écoles maternelles. Even before they reach the age of three, many of them are in full-day programs."

Coach Dodge applied this phrase much more according to its original intent than did Mrs. Rodham-Clinton. (Trying to get this thread back on track).

First off, HRC should quit wasting her time running for President. For whatever reason she's too devisive.

Every problem is once again a dishonest and prejudicial assessment of just one of her ideas. Since the word compulsory was not used in the sentence that you sited from her book, what part of that idea did you find so threatening?

Maybe if she added "and I think that contracting this program out to Haliburton would be the most ideal and most cost effective way to bring it to fruition" would have made it more palatable to the Republicans.

BTW, I don't play so fast and loose with the term friend.

BTW (2), it's my opinion that Todd Dodge and Hillary Rodham-Clinton used the phrase "it takes a village" in exactly the same way.

Which (IMHO) does bring us back on track.

Edited March 21, 2007 by SilverEagle

[Mean Green 93-98]

First off, HRC should quit wasting her time running for President. For whatever reason she's too devisive.

Every problem is once again a dishonest and prejudicial assessment of just one of her ideas. Since the word compulsory was not used in the sentence that you sited from her book, what part of that idea did you find so threatening?

Maybe if she added "and I think that contracting this program out to Haliburton would be the most ideal and most cost effective way to bring it to fruition" would have made it more palatable to the Republicans.

BTW, I don't play so fast and loose with the term friend.

BTW (2), it's my opinion that Todd Dodge and Hillary Rodham-Clinton used the phrase "it takes a village" in exactly the same way.

Which (IMHO) does bring us back on track.

I realize that you are not very fast and loose with the term "friend." You seem much more eager to call someone dishonest, which you have now done twice to me--which I do not take lightly or kindly. I was using the term as a reminder that we share something in common (I assume you root for North Texas sports), and as an encouragement to shy away from the false personal attacks you have employed.

My statement was that Mrs. Rodham-Clinton was using the phrase "it takes a village" in a way that put the government in place of the home. I realize that when I am talking to a Democrat such as yourself, I am likely talking to a secularist. But regardless of your personal views, God is the one Who established the institutions of home and of government. Governments are in place to see that order and justice are maintained within a state (Rom. 13:1-4). The home has the responsibility of rearing children (Eph. 6:4). When the government assumes that God-given responsibility away from the home, they have usurped the role of the home--even if the home goes along willingly.

If you can show me where Coach Dodge references broader use of government to rear children, I will agree that he and Mrs. Rodham-Clinton used the term in the same way.

[good_ken]

Politics.

Religion.

Is there anything that yall can cram into this thread before it gets locked?

[mrsgreengoblin]

Great Article!!!!!

[SilverEagle]

Politics.

Religion.

Is there anything that yall can cram into this thread before it gets locked?

Yes, I believe that I can.

I think that if HRC had suggested (which of course she did not) that Haliburton would be the perfect contractor to make her universal day-care-pre-school comment/suggestion come to fruition, then it would have caused every Republican out there to get very sexually aroused. at the thought of how much Haliburton would be screwing the general public......especially Dick Cheny.

[MeanMag]

I appreciate what Satan has done for society.

And it does have me quite aroused.

Edited March 21, 2007 by MeanMag

[Quoner]

I appreciate what Satan has done for society.

And it does have me quite aroused.

My foreskin can cover the North Endzone and also touch the goal post.

Is that enough to lock this?

[SilverEagle]

My foreskin can cover the North Endzone and also touch the goal post.

Is that enough to lock this?

If this doesn't work then nothing will.

[emmitt01]

I am no Republican and no Democrat but I am a staunch believer in laughing at anyone from either side who employs straw man arguments to preach to a disinterested audience. The quote about "Imagine a classroom in which all children..." never IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM states that she would like to create said classroom through big government, additional spending or 'big brother' having a role at all. Perhaps if the quote had begun "Imagine a pointless war..." it could have included all three...but I digress. The biggest and most glaring portion of the anti HRC argument though is the tacit assumption that she wants to replace the family with government, the crux of the tirade in fact, yet there is not one shred of evidence given to prove the point. Furthermore, what do children in America between the ages of three and five do as it stands now? Do they not attend pre-school? All I read in that quote was that she would like for the classrooms to be sparkly and the teachers to be professionally trained. Let me tell you from first hand experience both as a police officer who takes part in in-school educational programs and as one who has seen the end result of poor schooling...if she can make it happen I don't care what her methods are short of kidnapping the children and putting them into camps. Now, it may very well be true that Clinton is a monster who will destroy the very fabric of American society (and if she is maybe she, like her husband, could bring unemployment to a low not seen by Republicans in decades or come up with an education plan that is more feasible than lip service unlike "no child left behind") but I can't glean that from the evidence put forth. Perhaps there is another passage in her book that could be more accurately bastardized? And, for the love of God, pun intended can we please not invoke scripture when engaging in a debate about the merits of a senator from New York? Again I am no Democrat, but even I can see that this is the current Republican regime's silver bullet when backed into a corner. Call America, or insert enemy, Godless and proclaim the need for Republicans to bring them back into the light.

With this said, I could outline all that is wrong with Democratic leaders currently in power as well...it's just that they're the ones being called to task at the moment.

Edited March 21, 2007 by emmitt01

[untgirl04]

Religious Literacy: What every American needs to know - and doesn't by Stephen Prothero

Buy Me

[DeepGreen]

We need a poll to find out the political makeup of the members of GMG.com.

-Democrats

-Republicans

-Independents

-Other

[Mean Green 93-98]

I am no Republican and no Democrat but I am a staunch believer in laughing at anyone from either side who employs straw man arguments to preach to a disinterested audience. The quote about "Imagine a classroom in which all children..." never IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM states that she would like to create said classroom through big government, additional spending or 'big brother' having a role at all. Perhaps if the quote had begun "Imagine a pointless war..." it could have included all three...but I digress. The biggest and most glaring portion of the anti HRC argument though is the tacit assumption that she wants to replace the family with government, the crux of the tirade in fact, yet there is not one shred of evidence given to prove the point. Furthermore, what do children in America between the ages of three and five do as it stands now? Do they not attend pre-school? All I read in that quote was that she would like for the classrooms to be sparkly and the teachers to be professionally trained. Let me tell you from first hand experience both as a police officer who takes part in in-school educational programs and as one who has seen the end result of poor schooling...if she can make it happen I don't care what her methods are short of kidnapping the children and putting them into camps. Now, it may very well be true that Clinton is a monster who will destroy the very fabric of American society (and if she is maybe she, like her husband, could bring unemployment to a low not seen by Republicans in decades or come up with an education plan that is more feasible than lip service unlike "no child left behind") but I can't glean that from the evidence put forth. Perhaps there is another passage in her book that could be more accurately bastardized? And, for the love of God, pun intended can we please not invoke scripture when engaging in a debate about the merits of a senator from New York? Again I am no Democrat, but even I can see that this is the current Republican regime's silver bullet when backed into a corner. Call America, or insert enemy, Godless and proclaim the need for Republicans to bring them back into the light.

With this said, I could outline all that is wrong with Democratic leaders currently in power as well...it's just that they're the ones being called to task at the moment.

Emmitt, I think you miss the point of what Hillary was talking about in her quote. The écoles maternelles program in France is a government program in which almost 100% of French preschool-age children take part.

If it is such a disinterested audience, why do you Hillary people (who universally make a statement distancing yourselves from her before vehemently defending her) keep bringing it up?