In the case of D'Amico, sports has made an indelible mark

Waterford - This is a story of perseverance, hope and discovery. The story of the recurrent guidance and impact of sports. The story of a mother's love, a coach's influence.

This is the story of Nolan "Noodle" D'Amico.

And we begin at the end. "Noodle," as his friends call him, is still a football player. Yes, this is the best news of all. He'll play for St. Thomas More in the fall, a momentous achievement in his life, a life that was awash in bad decisions before so many good ones.

"I think about where I would be without football," D'Amico said Monday night over a grinder at Illiano's, "and I really don't want to think about it."

D'Amico, an all-league lineman at Waterford High the last two years, won't forget two seminal days in his life: The day officials at Waterford High told him he'd be repeating his sophomore year because of insufficient grades. And the day he summoned the courage to find football coach Mike Ellis in the weight room after quitting on him the year before.

D'Amico said Monday that some family issues as a freshman caused him to, in his words, "give up on everything." His grades began swirling the bowl. He quit football. It's not hard to fathom what came next.

"I partied a lot, got into drugs," D'Amico said. "I'd sneak out of the house when my mother was sleeping. Smoke stuff at the fields. Doing everything punks do. Even when they told me I was staying back, I was in my own little world. I thought, 'good, I get an extra year of football.'"

It didn't take D'Amico long to learn that the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the state's governing body of high school sports, allows four years of eligibility.

Soon, D'Amico realized the seriousness of the message: He was staying back. That's when he knew he needed Ellis.

"I went to the weight room," D'Amico said. "I was afraid to approach him because I quit on him. I told him I wanted to play again. He smiled. He's treated me like a son since. I wouldn't be here right now without him. He's the nicest person I've ever met."

Perhaps we could all remember D'Amico's name the next time someone out there in academia, or among all the anonymous scholars, lectures us on how sports aren't part of the educational process. Maybe we could get some aggrieved state union worker and our esteemed governor together to read this as they propose to cut sports and the arts at state technical schools.

D'Amico's success on the field inspired a newfound interest in school. Funny how the concepts are so often married.

"I was back into football, but my teachers were telling me I didn't have the grades to play in college," he said. "I had to improve them. I'm not the brightest kid ever. But I started to try."

Suddenly, though, tomorrow arrived for him. His high school career was over. But collegiate opportunities were scarce. He was told prep schools were too expensive. By the spring, D'Amico was hospitalized with depression.

"No one knew," he said. "Not even my close friends."

But it was here that it became evident - to everyone - the root of D'Amico's despair. He wasn't ready to give up playing. He needed to keep playing. Because playing was the catalyst for everything else in his life.

He transformed his body from 280 to 220 pounds because of it.

He opened a book because of it.

He started living again because of it. "I'm not sure my mom realized how important it was to me until then," he said.

Kim Kozek, D'Amico's mother, began to pursue prep school options. And with the help of former New London coach Jack Cochran, among others, the family worked out a financial aid package with St. Thomas More. D'Amico will be playing for former East Lyme High great Lou Allen with the Chancellors.

"I owe my mom so much," D'Amico said.

When it was suggested that St. Thomas More is boys only, without much to do other than study and play sports, D'Amico said, "I can take a year off from girls."

D'Amico is the reason coaches coach. He's the kid that you think you can't possibly reach - until he becomes the best story of them all. A coach and a sport saved him. Now he's sharing his story so that maybe there's someone else out there who can get saved, too.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.