| | By Doug Brien
Special to ESPN.com
Editor's note: What is life in an NFL training camp like? Kicker Doug Brien takes you inside the camp of the New Orleans Saints with his weekday diary for ESPN.com.
Tuesday, Aug. 15
THIBODAUX, La. -- First, I have to respond to a few e-mails I have received in response to Monday's entry. I did not intend to come across as making excuses for my bad kick or berate Purdue University in anyway; I was simply sharing my experiences from the game. I have gotten the impression, from fans that have contacted me, that they enjoy my diaries because they are from a player's perspective, not a journalist's. In Monday's entry, I was simply trying to share my experiences from the game and tell you all something about the game that was different from what you would see in the paper. I thought talking about my struggles kicking and our locker room situation would be interesting; I guess I was wrong. I have a new appreciation for beat writers after attempting to do a daily diary during camp. It is tough coming up with interesting content day after day. I'll try to do better in the future. But in the meantime, please go easy on the "fan" mail. You Boilermaker and Colt fans are tough.
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The end of camp is approaching fast. After spending over a month living in dorm rooms away from our families, it will be nice to return home and to a normal practice schedule. One of the first things I need to attend to is my Kicks for Kids' Sake program. I started this program my senior year in college and have run it every year since. Through this program, I solicit individuals and corporations to sponsor me for every field goal I kick. The money raised benefits Big Brothers/Big Sisters. To date, the program has raised over $200,000 for Big Brother/Big Sister agencies in Oakland and New Orleans.
For the past three years, Winn-Dixie has been my lead corporate sponsor. This year they are having some financial difficulties and will be unable to sponsor the program. Unfortunately, they were not able to notify me of this problem until a few days before training camp started. Since I don't have the time to look for a new corporate sponsor for this season, I have decided to make this year's effort more grassroots.
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I have a new appreciation for beat writers after attempting to do a daily diary during camp. It is tough coming up with interesting content day after day. ” |
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I have already gotten an e-mail from a die-hard Saints fan named Matt McCliment. He notified me he wants to pledge $10 for every field goal I kick this season. That is an extremely generous offer for which I am grateful. If any of you would like to join Matt in supporting Kicks for Kids' Sake and Big Brothers/Big Sisters I would really appreciate it. You don't have to do $10. Even a $1 per kick can add up to $20 to $30 dollars and when multiplied by enough people that can make a big impact on the New Orleans community. In the past, I have donated $100 per field goal, but because of the dire situation this year's program is in, I am going to double my pledge to $200 per kick. I challenge each of you to pledge whatever you can afford to this worthwhile program.
For those of you who are not familiar with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the organization sponsors "matches" between caring adults (mentors or "Bigs") and children from single-parent homes. These children are considered "at risk" because they are statistically far more likely to do drugs, drop out of school or go to jail. When a positive role model is matched with these children it can have a big affect on their life. If you would like more information about the program you can go to my site www.kicking.com or Big Brother's site www.bbbssela.org to find what you need. I hope you can commit to helping me make the 2000 Kicks for Kids' Sake program prosper despite the absence of a corporate sponsor. (Unless of course someone reads this and volunteers their company to be a corporate sponsor.)
Additionally, I am going to donate a portion of the profits from my Kicking.com store to Kicks for Kids' Sake. So, if you are in the market for some Saints gear, my store has a great selection of merchandise to choose from and you can benefit Big Brother/Big Sisters at the same time. If you are interested in sponsoring the program, please email me at doug@kicking.com and tell me your name, phone number, address, and the amount of your pledge. Big Brothers/Big Sister will send you a letter confirming your commitment.
Material from kicking.com.
Visit Doug Brien's web site at http://www.kicking.com
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