COMMUNITY: Get ready for football - again

Editor's note: Casey Hack, 28, of Anamosa is a 2003 graduate of North Cedar High School and head football coach and physical education teacher at Midland High School in Wyoming.

By Casey Hack, community contributor

As soon as I graduated from high school, I wanted to put the pads on and play in a full-contact football game again.

It seemed to be a far-fetched dream, so my love for football led me down the path of teaching and coaching.

I never thought I would be able to play under the lights again, but Alumni Football USA has changed that for me and many others around the United States.

When I got the call from a friend about the opportunity to put together a team and play against our rival, Tipton, I thought it was too good to be true. I decided to sign up and give it a try.

Before we knew it, we were practicing and getting ready to be the first alumni game in Iowa. Our ages ranged from 19 to 46 and, while we had different skill levels, we all had the same goal in mind - to play football again.

We prepared every Sunday, it was talked about often in our community and people were excited to come and watch the game in the middle of the summer.

The game was a success, with both bleachers full of fans. It was everything we had hoped it would be and we even raised a bunch of money for our schools, which are given the opportunity to sell tickets and run the concession stand to make money.

Alumni Football USA has a goal to raise $1 million for schools across America.

As we prepare and build our roster again this year, I wanted to give you the opportunity to sign up and see what your alma mater can do. It is a great opportunity to put on the pads and see what you have left.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity. Alumni Football USA will be in Iowa in June. All you need to do is get signed up.

l Go to www.alumnifootballusa.com for information about putting a team together