“That’s why high school football
– and particularly high school coaches – play such a vital role in our society.
Our football coaches are on the front lines of the battle for the hearts and
minds of the young men in our society. The culture war is on and we see it
every day. These young men are more vulnerable than ever.” (Coaches and
Athletic Director’s, 2014)
How many youth and high school coaches serve as a father figure to their players? How many mothers look to the coaches of their son’s football team as the last best hope to show their son what it means to become a man – a real man? More than we’ll ever know.
Coaches teach our young people the lessons of life that very often they learn from no one else. Coaches have the kind of influence in our schools, and with our young people, that is difficult to come by.
Billy Graham once said, “One coach will influence more people in one year than the average person will do in a lifetime.” My dad also says all the time that it just takes one person to believe in a young man or young woman to change their lives. I couldn’t agree more.
Our culture teaches us to judge an activity by how it’s going to make us feel right now. But football doesn’t work that way. The game challenges and pushes us. It’s often uncomfortable. It requires us to be at our best.
Isn’t that what we want in our society?
Football is a great sport. Football teams can be, and very often are, the catalyst for good in our schools and our communities. Millions of young men have learned lessons in football that they could only learn through playing this game. Football has saved lives.
That is why football matters.
My two cents:
Providing quality coaching in all sports provide an extended foundation that establishes a circle of hope that encompasses all students on campus. This diverse group includes honor students, the academic struggling student, and the student(s) needing to be involved. Individual student growth through learning teamwork, work ethic, and responsibility of maintaining academic requirements make this facet of the educational institution one of utmost importance. Without some kind of commitment from the administration and school leadership teams or at least some collaboration, the impact of athletics and coaches on the development of your youth will never have its full impact on the school in a positive way. The Us vs. Them atmosphere only defeats the true purpose of school-wide collaboration and creates an adversarial relationship that divides a school, hinder progress, promotes negatively and destroys school moral.
How many youth and high school coaches serve as a father figure to their players? How many mothers look to the coaches of their son’s football team as the last best hope to show their son what it means to become a man – a real man? More than we’ll ever know.
Coaches teach our young people the lessons of life that very often they learn from no one else. Coaches have the kind of influence in our schools, and with our young people, that is difficult to come by.
Billy Graham once said, “One coach will influence more people in one year than the average person will do in a lifetime.” My dad also says all the time that it just takes one person to believe in a young man or young woman to change their lives. I couldn’t agree more.
Our culture teaches us to judge an activity by how it’s going to make us feel right now. But football doesn’t work that way. The game challenges and pushes us. It’s often uncomfortable. It requires us to be at our best.
Isn’t that what we want in our society?
Football is a great sport. Football teams can be, and very often are, the catalyst for good in our schools and our communities. Millions of young men have learned lessons in football that they could only learn through playing this game. Football has saved lives.
That is why football matters.
My two cents:
Providing quality coaching in all sports provide an extended foundation that establishes a circle of hope that encompasses all students on campus. This diverse group includes honor students, the academic struggling student, and the student(s) needing to be involved. Individual student growth through learning teamwork, work ethic, and responsibility of maintaining academic requirements make this facet of the educational institution one of utmost importance. Without some kind of commitment from the administration and school leadership teams or at least some collaboration, the impact of athletics and coaches on the development of your youth will never have its full impact on the school in a positive way. The Us vs. Them atmosphere only defeats the true purpose of school-wide collaboration and creates an adversarial relationship that divides a school, hinder progress, promotes negatively and destroys school moral.