laces

Sports can teach you life's lessons

I learned that early and I'm still learning it.

I remember my high school football coach, Virgil Wells, telling me...

"Son, your job is to catch the ball. You have the ability. When the ball is the air, you treat it like it's yours. You focus on it. No distractions! You don't wait for the ball to come to you. You go and get it! Your focus on the ball should be such that you see the laces on the ball the moment that it's in the air."

Coach Wells' words have always stuck with me.

When I was younger, I used to wonder if he was talking about football or life's opportunities?

Now that I've gotten older, I realized that he was talking about both. Opportunity is just like that ball. Focus.

Even though Coach Wells is no longer here, I'm glad that he told me.

And I'm glad that I listened. Thanks Coach

teach and learn

When it comes to school, I don't play.

I demand that my sons do well in school.

Mediocrity is not an option.

A few weeks ago, my oldest son, Deion came home with a "C". He's 10yrs old and is in the 5th grade. He's an A student. So, I was NOT happy to see a "C" on his progress report. I realized that he had gotten a C because he had 3 homework assignments that he did not turn in. The strange thing is that he DID the homework. He just didn't turn it in!!!

Huh?

That left me scratching my head. How can you do it but not turn it in?

I happened to be out of town when my wife called me and told me about the grade. I was furious. I told her to put Deion on the phone. My wife tried to tell me to take it easy on him but I wasn't trying to hear her. When Deion got on the phone, I went off! I didn't curse (my sons have never heard me curse) but I let him have it. When he tried to explain, I told him that I didn't want to hear it and I didn't want to talk to him.

Should I have said that? Probably not.

My wife called me the next day and she said that after we got off the phone he cried as if he had gotten the worst spanking in the world. He was hollering! She said that he woke up the next morning and he was crying uncontrollably. She tried to cheer him up but he wouldn't snap out of it. He was hurt. I had no idea. After she told me what happened, I knew that I had to say something. I asked her to give him the phone. She tried but he didn't want to talk. What? He doesn't want to talk?

I told my wife to put the phone in his hand and to FORCE him to talk if she had to. After a few moments, he finally took the phone from her. I began the conversation by apologizing. Apparently, when I told him that I didn't want to talk to him...he thought that meant that his Dad didn't like him anymore...didn't love him like I love his 2 younger brothers.

I quickly reminded him that I DID love him. I reminded him that he was still my "main man". However, I was disappointed in what he had done. There was no excuse for not turning in his work. I reminded him of the many hours that he spends doing his homework and he should have turned the work in as soon as he walked in class. I reminded him that I needed him to be the leader for his brothers. You can't lead if you aren't doing the right things. He said he understood. I told him that I loved him and he said "I love you too, Daddy."

Lesson learned...sometimes words can hit harder than a fist. Always be mindful of what you say and how you say it.

Always remember that kids don't come with instructions. Parenting is a constant work in progress.

Even when you come down on a child, you should always end the conversation with a positive thought or a word of encouragement. It's usually the last thing that they hear...


Holla!!





Also check out a post that I wrote on Sista Sports...http://bit.ly/5PiM7L

rip X...z motion...81 scissors...4 flat...

We learn new things every day. It's a part of our growth process.

Vibe with me on this one...

As you know, I have a deep love and passion for the game of football. I played it from the age of 8...all the way through college. To say that I took some things from it would be a huge understatement. I learned a lot. I learned things that you can apply to every day life. For example...

1. Game Plan
In football, you must have a game plan. Your game plan is your strategy for how you will play the game.

In life, having a game plan is essential. You can't wander though life aimlessly without having a plan...or a goal. If you fail to plan...then you need to plan to fail.

2. 4 quarters
A football game is divided into 4 quarters. It is a grueling sport. The 4 quarters are a test of your endurance.

In life, there are many games that you play within the big game of life. Your objective in life is to win more than you loose. For example, you want to win with your personal relationships but you'll lose (heart break) from time to time. You have to endure the trials and tribulations that come your way. But you can't quit. You won't quit. You just do it. Period!

3. Halftime
Halftime is the midpoint of the game in football. It is the time where you review the plans and make any adjustments

In life, you must constantly make your adjustments. As we all know, life will deal you the unexpected. You can try to plan for things but life is constantly changing. And thus...we have to make our adjustments and strategies for our lives.

4. Injuries
If you play the game of football long enough, you're gonna be injured. It's almost like being in a car crash every play

In life, your feelings will be bruised and battered...especially at the hands of those that you love. Just like in football, you don't complain about your injuries. You deal with it and move on. You can't dwell on it too much. Nobody will feel sorry for you. We all get injured. The story is not about how you got injured but it's about how you overcame the injury and moved on.

5. Fans
In the game of football, the fans enter stadiums to watch you play. They will sit and watch no matter if it's 100 degrees or if it's -4 below. They are there to cheer you on.

In life, we all have fans. No matter who you are and what you do. There is SOMEBODY out there who is rooting for you to succeed. They want to see your success just like you do. And that's important.

6. Hard Work
In life, hard work pays off. Suffering + sacrifice= success. To be successful doesn't mean that you have to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It just means that you do what you're supposed to do and get some satisfaction from it.

Football is no different. It is a game that will teach you discipline. It will teach you how to push yourself...when you don't know if you can push yourself any more than you have been.



So...in essence...football is just like the game of life.

Who said that you couldn't learn something from a simple little game???

You just did!

Holla!