WBO Champ Bradley, UFAL Champs Inspire, Motivate at Indio Middle School

(INDIO) — Your career is like a cookie: How happy it makes you depends on the recipe, and hard work better be part of the dough.

That was the “Career Day” message delivered this week from the UFAL Champion SoCal Coyotes to the students of Indio Middle School, as players joined WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley to add a little punch to school-day routines with personal stories of inspiration and motivation.

Cathedral City’s Tim Bradley, who worked as a dishwasher and a waiter on his road to boxing fortune and fame, made an unforgettable impression when he unpacked his WBO title belt as a testament to hard work.

The two-time champion Coyotes followed suit, as nose tackle Cedric Cox, linebackers Ryan Pervine and Greg Marshall, offensive guard Valentin Perez and defensive back Juan Valencia educated and entertained students with their own life experiences while tackling topics such as “act on your dreams,” “leaders are readers,” “never give up,” and “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Bradley and the Coyotes joined other parents from all walks of life who demonstrated to the Indio sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders the importance of education if you plan on a rewarding career.

The Coyotes thanked Indio Middle School administrators for the invitation and support, including principal Jesus Jimenez, assistant principal Becky Hudson, and school counselors and teachers Shanna McCown and Carol Guerro-Miller.

The SoCal Coyotes are the nation’s only non-profit sports leadership organization to field a professional football team.