One More Season

In the fall of 1977, Charlie Wedemeyer was told that he had contracted ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and probably had about a year left to live. On December 13, 1985, Wedemeyer sat in a golf cart relaying messages to his assistant coaches as his high school football team competed for the Central California State Championship. What happened between those two events makes for an incredibly compelling, emotionally wrenching true-life drama that will have viewers alternating between open admiration and tears. The program examines Charlie's high school and later college career as an All-American at Michigan State before he became a teacher-coach at Los Gatos High School. Interviews with Lucy Wedemeyer, as well as footage shot over the past decade, draw an affecting portrait of a man who, once informed of his fate, never looked back, and determined to live one day at a time. Although coaching was his life, as the disease progressed it became apparent that Los Gatos would have to let Charlie go. He reluctantly gave up his teaching duties, but asked to remain as head coach. As Charlie's condition worsened, his team grew stronger and stronger--making it into the championship game in 1984 (a game that Wedemeyer coached by telephone from his hospital bed in the intensive care unit where he was fighting for his life). One More Season is a profoundly affecting story which words simply cannot describe; its testament to the courage and strength of one individual's spirit is a credit and inspiration to us all. Highly recommended. (See THE DRAW SQUAD! for availability.)