It can be said many different ways, delivered with hand-picked flowers from the backyard or
a two-egg lobster omelet as a starter in a big Sunday brunch line. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, area
athletes, coaches and administrators were asked to share why they are thankful for their mothers.
Adam Foote, Avalanche defenseman.
“She gave me unconditional love and never let me complain, always telling me to stay positive. She was also real tough. She was always there for me and my sisters, and still is. So, it’s great to be able to say nice things about her.”
Matt Holliday, Rockies outfielder.
“I think moms in a baseball family keep everything going the way they should. With kids and all of the activities and stuff, they are the ones that keep the house together. Both my mom and wife are the ones who keep the ship sailing.” (Holliday’s dad, Tom, was a baseball coach at Oklahoma St.)
Jeff Francis, Rockies pitcher.
“My mom was always my biggest supporter. I just happened to be good at baseball. You can think of the weirdest, most obscure thing there is — mushroom collection — and if I did well in it, she would have been happy.”
Andrew Brunette, Avs forward.
“I’m thankful for having a mom who instilled the lessons of hard work to me. She always taught me that there were no shortcuts to success in life. That’s the thing that always stuck with me. She also got up at the crack of dawn to drive me to practices so many times. Thanks, Mom.”
Brian Fuentes, Rockies pitcher.
“She has always been kind of my crutch. Whether my wife needs help with the kids or I need someone to do something at the house, she’s always there. It feels a little funny that I’m a grown man and I still am so dependent on my mom. But she did a great job making me independent, too. She taught me a lot. From an early age, I was cooking and cleaning and ironing and doing all of those things. She raised me well, but at the same time, she is always there.”
Shane Bertsch, pro golfer.
“She did absolutely everything for me, her whole life. She was always taking me to and from the golf course. I had jobs up at the Evergreen (Golf Course) and then at Hiwan (Golf Club) before I had a driver’s license, so somebody had to drive me there. She just raised me to do what I wanted to do, and never pushed me in any direction.”
Tim Miles, Colorado State men’s basketball coach.
“First of all, she’s funny. When I was a little kid wanting to run away, she told me, ‘Well, you know the train runs right through town at 4 o’clock. You can get on and ride all the way to Watertown (S.D.).’ Her sense of humor makes you feel at ease. I realized I could be myself and never had to worry about how I was viewed or judged by others. Anytime I would show any kind of self-doubt, she would be there for me. She wasn’t interested in being my friend. She was interested in what was best for my future.”
Ugo Ihemelu, Rapids defender.
“A lot of it has been her example. She’s a nurse, and she’s worked really hard to give us everything we need. She missed a lot of our games — we all played sports, all us kids — and she sacrificed so we could get to where we are now.”
Clint Barmes, Rockies infielder.
“She constantly was on me. She always knew what I was doing, where I was. There was no fooling her. We didn’t understand at the time, but it made me the person I am. It was always about me and my brother. She gave us so much love. Now that I have my own kid and I’m a little bit older, I really appreciate her even more. I’m very thankful with the way I was raised.”
Mike Bohn, University of Colorado athletic director.
“No question about it, it was her instilling a positive attitude in me. She did that by practicing what she preached. She had a can-do attitude every day. She was a P.E. teacher by trade, so she obviously brought that home with her, and it rubbed off on me. She taught me to always do my best and to take advantage of all the opportunities in front of you. Every day, we saw her being active in things like Little League, working to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Chris Iannetta, Rockies catcher.
“Whether they are sitting at home watching on the computer or at the game sitting in the stands, I know my mom is there. Just to know that she cares and is behind me no matter what, that’s a good feeling.”
