A Coach's Diary

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His live endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).” Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for us to pause and reflect on what we are THANKFUL for. Studies gave shown that people who express gratitude experience a variety of benefits - like better sleep and more meaningful relationships. Most importantly, Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and share gratitude to and for God for all of the things that He has done for us. Meditating on the things that He has done for us brings us closer to God, and some research shows what we think is multiplied. So thinking about the blessings that God has given us can lead to more blessings. "Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 106:1).” This Thanksgiving, take a second to tell someone special in your life THANK you, and tell them why. Share your THANKS and gratitude with the people who have positively impacted your life.

When a player says, "Thank you, coach," I always say, "Thank you," back. The truth is, they don't have to show up, and when they do show up, they don't have to listen. We see and hear about the negative side of coaching so much. Players are transferring all the time. Parents are hard to please. Kids don't work as hard as they used to, they are selfish, and they aren't as tough as they used to be. The complaints and excuses are endless, and many of them are valid. But being a coach is one of the most important jobs in the world. We have the ability to impact lives in ways that no one else can, and we interact with more kids than most, so the quality of our coaching, teaching, and mentoring, and our ability to build meaningful relationships really can change the world. When the going gets tough, remember how important and sacred the player/coach relationship is. Remember how coaches have impacted your life - positively and negatively. Remember that you...

A leader in our district shared a story about a local football program and talked about the impact that it made on him, the impact that it is making on his kid, and how that impact is having a ripple effect on his teams and athletes. The Highland Park High School football program is one of the best and most consistent football programs in the state of Texas. They have won 6 state championships, and they have produced NFL talent like Doak Walker and Matthew Stafford. When a coach from Highland Park was asked about some of the things that separate them from other programs, the coach said that one of the things that all of their athletes are taught is to go to their coaches after every practice, to shake their hands, and to tell them, "Thank you for coaching me today." When a coach is at practice, they are sacrificing time away from their family to be with the team. They are giving time, energy, and resources to others, and many coaches don't get paid to do so. The simple ac...