Football: Beene enjoys being a mentor at ASCO All-Star Classic

Joe Beene always looks forward to this trip.

By the time he gets to Lubbock, the ASCO West Texas All-Stars have been practicing for three days, practicing hard. Turning 44 all-star high school football players into a cohesive unit isn't easy, not when most of the players haven't met each other until the week of the game.

But as much as Beene - a former Permian linebacker - loves the game, the football isn't his favorite part of the weekend.

That happens at the annual Friday night banquet, when Beene gets to speak to the kids.

"I tell them something different every year," Beene said. "A lot of times I tell them no matter what they're going through, they can fight through it."

Beene should know. In 2000 Beene was permanently paralyzed after making a tackle at a Permian football practice, which is the reason the ASCO West Texas Football Classic was started in the first place.

Established in 2005, the Football Classic raises money for Beene and former Levelland player Jeremy Green, another high school football player who suffered a devastating spinal cord injury.

In its first year, the game raised $5,000 for each player. The next year the figure rose to $7,500, and last year Beene and Green were presented with checks for $10,000.

According to Lubbock Monterey coach James Morton, one of the game's co-founders, the game is expected to raise even more money this year.

Ask Beene about the game, though, and he doesn't mention the money. Beene talks about the chance to talk to another group of football players.

"Some of these guys are going to play college ball at big schools, some aren't," Beene said. "For those guys, it's an awesome way to go out and lay down their pads."

The game also is a way for high school football coaches to give back to their sport.

Seminole coach Chris Burtch is coaching the South team this year, but it's not the first time he's been involved with the game. Burtch volunteered to work behind the scenes at last year's game.

"Any time a tragedy happens, coaches hear about it through the Texas High School Coaches Association," Burtch said. "I don't know how anyone can hear these guys' stories and not be impacted."

This year Burtch is in charge of putting a good football team on the field, a troublesome task since most of the players have never played together before, already graduated and have college careers to protect.

On the other hand, these players are drawn from as far south as Odessa and as far north as Amarillo, which means it's not hard for the coaches to tap into their team's competitive streak.

"We tried to tell them that the game will be a whole lot more enjoyable if you play well," said Permian coach Darren Allman, who coached the South Team last year. "But it's not hard, because you've got a bunch of guys who have already proven that they can play."

Beene and Green traditionally receive their checks at halftime, which puts the game into perspective for most of the players.

Saturday's all-star game is a celebration of West Texas football, but it's also a chance for the players to help raise money for a couple of former football players.

"I think that's really when it hits home with the kids," Allman said. "That's when they get to fully understand the positive influence that the game is having for their families."

Not to mention the positive influence that Beene and Green have already had on them.