"Stop stepping on my ropes boys!" "You are stinking up my backfield." These are phrases commonly heard by the football players-the Kodiaks. These are just a few of the infamous words spoken by Head Coach Jim Shelley as he pushes the boys to be the best they can be. Hailey is a cheerleader for the Kodiaks and her brother Trevor plays tight-end on the team. Both Trevor and Hailey would tell you that Coach Jim is definitely a no-nonsense kind of guy.

Kodiaks Helmet with the
Heart of Hailey

It was Thursday night the day after Hailey's brain surgery. Pam and I were tired. We were up until 3:30am the night before, making sure Hailey came out of the surgery and the breathing tube was removed. When Pam came home from the hospital that night Trevor was just returning home from football practice. He came running into the kitchen with his big bright blue eyes shining. "Mom, look at my helmet!" Pam glanced over to see his #13 on the back center of the helmet and just below it was a white heart with the initial "H" in the middle. A little surprised, Pam asked Trevor what the heart meant. Trevor so proudly answered, "It's for Hailey, Coach Jim made one for every player's helmet, and the first game is dedicated to her." Tears filled Pam's eyes as she realized that our "Football Family" would be joining us on this long and difficult journey.

Coach Jim shared with Jeff that the Pop Warner Association made an exception this year to allow the boys to put the #40 on the their helmets in honor of the late Pat Tillman. Jim's response was confident and powerful, "That's great, I'm sure Pat Tillman was a great man, I didn't know Pat Tillman, but I do know Hailey Osborne and that's what I want to put on the helmets!"

Coach Jim, a tough and brawny exterior, but found just below the surface is an unmistakable heart-in this case, a heart for Hailey.

When Hailey is tired she will fight, when she feels like quitting she will take one more step and when she is afraid she will believe. That is the Heart of Hailey.

We love our Kodiak Family!