2 of 2 Press Release

Teen is First Student to Receive Award

For Immediate Release

1—1—1 2/15/2010

For additional information: Heritage Schools, Inc., 801-226-4600, ext. 253

Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger has a kindred spirit in James Larson. While Rudy worked hard winning a spot on the 1975 Notre Dame scout team, eventually winning the respect of players and coaches, James D. H. Larson won the respect of his teammates, coaches and the school for which he was never able to play a down.

James, a student at Heritage Schools, Inc., wanted to play football. He wanted to play football more than anything and was determined to go home in time to try out for his high school California team. The problem was James’s parents and school district did not think he was ready to leave the structured environment of a residential treatment center. They felt he wasn’t ready to go home. The idea was then brought up by those on James’s Treatment Team to perhaps play with a local high school.

A special program was written by James’ therapist, James Hewett. Arrangements were made, and James soon started practice with the Orem High School Tigers. “This was not an easy thing to do,” Bill Brothers, James’ academic advisor reported. “While Orem High School was out for the summer, Heritage Schools classes were going full force. James had to keep up with his classes and remain on the honor roll in order to remain on the team, and he did it. That kid worked so hard.”

Coach Wayne Faalafua, a coach at Orem High School, is also a Program Supervisor at Heritage. He talked to Head Coach Robert Steele about James playing for Orem. Coach Steele remembers thinking, “Oh man what are we getting ourselves into here? A kid in treatment? But I couldn’t have been more wrong about the kind of kid James was.”

Everyone working with James would agree he was a great kid with tremendous potential. However, James kept that potential a secret for the first 8 months of his treatment. Therapist Hewitt recalls, “James came in as an angry, defiant youth, with a substance abuse problem and a learning disability. He had trust issues and relationship problems. At about his eighth month mark in treatment however, James started to allow himself to change.”

For a few days and, perhaps, weeks, the team watched James. They expected his intensity and work ethic to soon taper off, but it never did. While James didn’t have any family in Utah, he still sold more tickets to the football banquet than any other player. Therapist Hewett remembers the occasion when a team member sustained a season-ending injury. “Thinking of the injured player, James had his team raise money to buy a football, had the team sign it, and then took the ball to the hospital for the injured teammate.”

Program Supervisor Mark McClain said, “I heard about James at practice, how he would run the field, do the drills and then go back to encourage the players who hadn’t finished yet. He did the same thing on our Heritage trip to Moab. He ran ahead of everyone, climbed the peak, saw the view, and then came back to help us also be able to see it. He encouraged us. James is not just happy with himself being successful. He wants his friends to be successful too.”

Coach Wayne Faalafua also remarked on this: “The Orem Tigers have something called the mile of stairs. This is a difficult drill, especially for the linemen. They literally run the stairs for a mile. James was one of the first to complete the drill. He then looked back, saw his struggling teammates, and went back to help and encourage. James finished the stairs again with the stragglers. The team captains noticed what James was doing, followed his example, and went to encourage and assist as well. The difference is the team captains didn’t have the patience to stick around to encourage the last player. James did.”

James wanted to play for the Tigers, and they wanted him to play for them. However, when they wrote letters to the Utah High School Activities Association asking permission for James to play on a team whose school he did not attend, the response was negative. Each time a letter of “No” was received from the Association, the coaches and Treatment Team would come up with a different angle to gain approval for James to play. The Treatment Team and coaches knew this would be a great opportunity for James. The UHSAA felt it was recruiting, which is not allowed. The approval never came. James would not be allowed to play. Not one single down.

Quarterback Braden Hill said the following at James’s Heritage Program Completion. “James would say he learned a lot from us, but nothing could be further from the truth. We learned so much from him. We wondered at first, ‘How long before he would quit?’ But he never did. Even when he was told he would never be in a game, never play a down, he didn’t quit.”

Coach Steele remarked, “Some kids play football to get on a team, others because they know they will be a starter. Then when they don’t get the ball or get to be a part of as many plays as they would like, they struggle. They’re angry. James went through all of that and more. He could have said, ‘Why work hard? Why condition, if I don’t get to play?’ Instead he took every opportunity to encourage and help out his team. He would do drills, lift weights, clean up the ice room, straighten up the weight room, and yell encouragement from the side. Once James asked me, ‘Coach, how come the guys don’t want to work hard?’ I am still trying to think of an answer to that.”

Because of James’s work ethic, his winning attitude, and his service to the team, he was asked to stay on and join the track and wrestling teams. By this time, however, it was appropriate for James to leave residential care. The lessons he’d learned through Heritage and while being a part of a team helped prepare him for discharge. At his program completion his team and coaches came to pay tribute to one of their finest teammates. One who was never able to earn a statistic.

At James’s Program Completion, the Spirit of Heritage Award was given to him by CEO Glen Zaugg. This recognition had never before been given to a client. Those who had received it were high profile individuals who had made a difference for good in the lives of children and teens. Those recipients include Senator Orin Hatch; the Ed and Lois Smart family; Utah’s First Lady, Mary Kaye Huntsman; theater professional Pat Davis; singer songwriter Alex Boyé and others. With not a dry eye in the audience, James accepted this award, and in his usual humble way, thanked everyone for the opportunity to be a part of something special.

Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is the one and only Notre Dame player ever to be lifted upon the shoulders of his teammates in celebration and taken off the field. This honor was given to Rudy for the inspiration he gave to the team through his hard work and ability to inspire. James D. H. Larson is the one and only client ever to receive the Spirit of Heritage Award. This honor was given to James for his inspiration, work ethic, and encouragement to his Orem High School football team and to the Heritage team. Much like Rudy, James will never be forgotten.

###