Frosty Letter: David LaSalata

Frosty’s impact on his players extended beyond the gridiron, permeating into their relationships with others. Here is proof.

Frosty,
When my father passed last fall I was given the opportunity to speak at his memorial. In preparing for this speech it dawned on me that the transformation that took place in me while under your guidance at PLU had given me the greatest gift that any young man could have, the ability to tell my father that I loved him. This was part of what I shared on that day:

“I chose to attend PLU, it is a great school and an even greater environment to grow in. With my fathers help I was able to play for and be mentored by one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, Frosty Westering. Aside from winning a lot, he was renowned for developing character in his athletes, something that I needed as an 18 year old green horn. The PLU football program taught me what selfishness was, and that I had a lot of it. It taught me about forgiveness, redemption, and most importantly love. It was through this experience that my relationship with my dad took flight. I had said to him the classic, “Love you too.” But it wasn’t until college I was able to articulate to him how much I loved him and what he really meant to me. He became more to me than just my dad. As a senior he made it to every game I played in, two flights to California, and even to Spokane. One night after a close win in Southern California, I stayed up late with some of my closest friends and teammates, trading stories about college and the games we’d played, all the while my father sat with us like just one of the boys, laughing and enjoying the trip. He became more to me than just my dad; he was my best friend and my hero.”

Prior to meeting you I was a bitter and angry young man. This prevented me from ever fully realizing the fullness of relationships. I finally saw an example of a person committed to Christ and how a man’s faith could be manifested through his actions and love for the people he  guided. Thank you for teaching me a different model and exposing me to the gospel in a way that I could understand. You have lived, preach the gospel at all time, and if necessary use words. Your actions changed my life. I love you Frosty.
EMAL #59
David LaSalata