Re: THANKS BW for posting that!!
You're right. Hammering and sawing does not build leadership skills. It does [as so aptly put] build comradery and the concept of team, i.e. individual pieces coming together to create something worthwhile.
In terms of leadership, I was once told that to lead from the front is to be followed anywhere, to lead from behind is to become a cheerleader (no offense to the cheerleaders). I'd rather have our student-athletes pulling not pushing.
Essentially, my comment comes down to this: Gailey is putting the players in a situation where they can learn from real life. He's giving them an opportunity to see what it's like giving instead of taking, and most of these kids have been given a lot.
Without getting too philosophical, the best leaders (and teammates) are those that have a better understanding of the entire picture around them.
I look at this project as an opportunity to educate another part of these kid's minds. There's more to life than football; and as a community, we all have an obligation to each other. Team means foregoing your own needs for the betterment of the whole.
Don't get me wrong. It's a good project, and in perspective, it's just another series of Saturdays for these guys. It does, however, seem representative of what CGailey's trying to do with these kids. But, everyone's entitled to their opinion.