Flyers can make history. No team in tournament 38 year history has ever won 3 in a row, but Flyers are tourney number 1 seed and are the favorites to do so.

As many of you know, the team will be participating in a tournament in Ontario, Canada this week & weekend. This is a very important tournament – it’s called the Guy Vetrie Memorial, and it’s the 38th year of the tourney; New Creations has won it the previous two seasons. New Creations is the only American team that has ever won it two times in a row; there has never been any team to win it three years in a row. Well, the Flyers have a chance to make history this week. The tourney in years past has been a great experience for our kids, and what I believe has been a great tune up in route to our run to win the National Championship the last two seasons.

If any of you have ever seen me coach or heard the rumors of me coaching (they’re probably all true, lol), then you know I am so passionate about what I do that it carries over into every aspect of the job. Many of you have heard that I will not be traveling with the team this week. I am sending the team with Greg Paxson and Andy Bain, and I know that they will do a great job, both are very able of getting the job done. Please keep them both in your prayers as well as the players; this will be a experience for all of them without the voice that they have grown accustomed to hearing on the sidelines as well as in every day life.

So that everyone has some understanding why I am not traveling with the team let me say that there is no problem health wise as some of you have asked. Thank you for your concern – my health is great at this time. Also, there is no problem relationship wise with me and my team. I love these guys and, yes, this has been a tough year from a winning and loosing stand point. I am not ashamed to share with you the reason I am unable to attend if you must know.

In June 2009, the law changed for entering another country; there was a time when a State ID was enough to get you in and out of Canada, but that has come and gone. I am unable to travel with the team because I am unable to obtain a passport to travel. I have been denied a passport because of bad choices earlier in my life that today are still hindering me in certain areas. This is not something that I will allow to impact me in a major way nor will I allow it to affect the growth of this group of young men.

Greg and Andy will do a great job, and they have all my trust and blessing. I have told my guys exactly what has happened and why; I haven’t given them a partial story but the whole truth. I wanted them to see how mistakes can resurface even when you’ve changed your life and are doing your best to walk right. I wanted them to understand that, for every action, there is a reaction, and this is the reaction to my actions.

I thank all of you for your kind words and sympathy. This is not a strong area of mine, to say thank you or allow others to comfort me. This has always been hard for me, but thank you all very much. I’m very anxious and nervous about this week, and I will be thinking of the boys; but, personally, I am good and in a good place. I assure all of you that have asked, I am not going to lock myself in the house and disappear for a month – lol. I’m dealing with this head on, and, again, I appreciate all your support. Now, let’s support our team and encourage them to make history and bring that trophy back; it will look so nice in our case.

GO FLYERS