BRISTOL -
More than 600 people filled the Bristol Central High School
auditorium Wednesday night to hear a humorous and inspirational
message from ESPN commentator and former Notre Dame football
coach Lou Holtz.
Sponsored by the Bristol Sports Hall of
Fame in conjunction with ESPN, the presentation attracted a large
crowd that included many members of area football teams as well
as other high school athletes and coaches.
The crowd heard Holtz outline his keys to
success in life as well as on the gridiron. He emphasized the
need for a positive attitude.
Make no excuses, he told the crowd, and
know what you are trying to do.
He urged those in attendance to be a dreamer and have a goal. And
finally he emphasized the importance of trust.
"Make
sure you can trust those around you," he said, "and
make sure that people around you know you care and they can trust
you."
Dave Mills,
president of the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame, introduced Holtz,
telling the crowd that the Hall of Fame has worked to sponsor
events such as Wednesday's to try to give something back to the
community.
He asked
those who had heard the Holtz presentation to take what they had
heard home with them and to use Holtz' words as a basis for
discussion in the community.
The Holtz
speech was presented to the community at no charge thanks to
ESPN. In recognition of the event, the Bristol Sports Hall of
Fame made a $1,000 donation to the Bristol Hospital Cancer Care
program in the name of Holtz's wife Beth, a cancer survivor.