No Let Up began as a chant that echoed loud and clear from the sidelines at every competitive event we can remember. I can still hear the words of encouragement, the voice, the situation and most of all the purpose.  But it wasn’t the phrase or timeliness of the chant; it was the inspiration and the character of the man who chanted the phrase. You just seemed to get it, understand it, feel it; there wasn’t a question in our minds about the meaning of the chant. it instilled in us the meaning of carrying ourselves with Pride, always giving 110% Effort and playing the game with the Respect and Sportsmanship it deserved …… The chant was consistent. The meaning was the same. It was contagious.

Mentor…. Teach… Inspire ….

The chant “No Let Up” instilled in us to prepare, to use our God given talents, to never give up, to battle, because no matter what the situation or the score, if you had that character with relentless spirit you were a winner. At that time, our whole lives were played out on that field, and the lessons we learned have lasted well after we stopped playing on Saturday mornings. The lessons have lasted throughout our high school years, onto the collegiate level, and yes dealing with this ride called life. It has been so inspiring that our teammates, friends, business associates and opponents caught on at every level.

No Let Up was no longer just a motivating tagline, it was a part of the way we tried to live our life. It was your character – the way you carried yourself, your persistence – your perpetual drive to keep going, and your relentless spirit – the positive aura emitted by someone with this “no quit” attitude who always holds their head high. Just look around, there are examples in our everyday life of that No Let Up spirit.

We all know someone who has inspired us, either by their deed, their character or their challenges in life. So lets recognize those who have that spirit, that drive, that persistent. Tell their story. Share the story. Inspire Us.