Rams great Marshall Faulk among Hall of Fame finalists

In 1998, I worked for Lift For Lift Gym - an after school program in north St. Louis.  We had a good relationship with the Rams and starting quarterback, Tony Banks.  He was an ardent supporter of the program.  Aside from financial support, Banks would often appear at Lift For Life outings and participate with the kids.  Unfortunately, his football was not as good as his philanthropy.  The Rams parted ways with Banks after a disappointing 4-12 campaign.  Before the 1999 season, the Rams traded for Marshall Faulk- an explosive running back who had spent his early years with the mostly underachieving Indianapolis Colts.

I was asked to write a letter to Faulk explaining Lift For Life Gym and requested he visit the facility.  We received a response several weeks later.  Marshall Faulk was coming in for a visit.  His impact on the organization and on our hometown St. Louis Rams was more than anyone could have imagined.  Faulk helped lead the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.  He also helped Lift For Life grow the after school program and was instrumental in the development of  Lift For Life Academy middle school.  Faulk was named Sunday as one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He helped bring a football championship to a baseball town and made a positive impact on the lives of many St. Louis area kids.

You can make a hall of fame impact on the kids in your life as well.  Please join Faulk's teammate and future hall of famer, Aeneas Williams for an event designed to improve the sports experience for kids.  Please click the following link to register for the St. Louis Sportsmanship Summit - and help address the pertinent topics of coaching leadership, sports parenting, and bullying among others.  The St. Louis Sportsmanship Summit will be held on Saturday, Jan. 22 at Maryville University featuring a free autograph session with Aeneas Williams beginning at 8:30 a.m.  The event is free to the public and breakfast will be provided, but registration is required to attend.  Please call 314.345.5130 for more information and enjoy the Faulk highlight package below (Email subscribers click here).  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol