Earlier this season Minnetonka quarterback Nick Rooney met a young fan after a game and turned it into a special moment. Here’s the account as provided by the boy’s father to Skippers coach Dave Nelson:

Coach Nelson

First off, congratulations on a great start to the season and hopes of continued success for the remainder.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steve Glaesman, and I have a seven-year-old son, Reese, who is in first grade at Scenic Heights. A couple days every week, he wants to walk over to Scenic Heights and watch some of the youth teams practice. He's wanted to strap on the pads ever since he was three and keeps asking, "Why won't they let me play now?" When we leave and get back home, he wants to do what he saw in practice, saying, "I just want to get better, dada."

Ever since Reese was three, turning four in the fall, he has had the same routine at the end of every home game. He has wanted to go the "The Hill" and give the players high-fives as they're walking up.

A couple weeks ago, following the Jefferson game, Reese was giving the players high-fives following the game. He saw Nick Rooney coming up and stuck his hand out. Rooney stopped, reached in his bag, and handed Reese one of his old footballs, and said, "You'll need this some day out on that field, buddy." I've never seen a kid with a bigger smile in my life! Reese looked at me and said, "Dada, my heart almost blew out of my chest!" That and every night for a week, Reese hardly put the football down and slept with it almost every night.

Reese asked me if I thought the QB would autograph the ball. Fast forward to the end of the Hopkins game. Same post-game routine on The Hill. Rooney came up The Hill, saw Reese, recognized him, and gave him a high-five, and Reese had him sign the football and was on cloud 9. Soon after, he saw Mitch Felknor walking up the hill and asked me if he could get his autograph also. Felknor signed it as well and also spent a couple extra minutes talking to Reese. Mitch asked Reese if he was going to play on that field some day and Reese replied, "I'm definitely going to play for Minnetonka some day."

Afterwards, Reese looks at me and said, "Dada, I'll do anything I have to do to wear that "M".

Coach Nelson, you talk about "Men of Character". It took less than 10 minutes for 2 of your players to create an impression on my son that will last for years.

MEN OF CHARACTER.....Absolutely!

Keep up the great work Coach Nelson!

Steve Glaesman (and Reese)