The Coach's Message

A guest post by my friend Dana Benning. 

Last night, I took my son to the local high school varsity football game.  My son is in the community youth tackle football program and was to be honored with the group during the game.  Before the game, youth players and coaches were invited to meet at the high school to receive a message from the varsity coach - Mark Hubbard.  I thought that it would probably be a "thanks for playing" speech with a "see you in high school" theme.

I was pleasantly surprised at the message that this young coach gave our players.  The local high school has a talented, but relatively young team.  They have lost more games than the community would like due to a newer offense and the turnovers that a new system can tend to generate.  There has been negative talk in the community as is the case in most communities where pride sometimes clouds reasonable expectations.

Coach Hubbard began speaking about how proud he is of his players and stressed that his varsity team is composed of good kids.  He admitted that the results are not what they wanted, but knows that the hearts and determination of his team is solid.  You could really feel the compassion that he has for his players.  He then told the kids his message for his players this week.  In life, there will always be times when things don't always go your way.  Whether it be a game, school, relationships, etc.  The key is how you handle it.  Coach Hubbard asked his players "Do you want to be like a ball or an egg?"  You see, an egg when dropped will shatter, but a dropped ball bounces back.  He stressed to these kids to not live life like an egg.  His delivery was passionate and I believe that it meant something to the team.  He went on to tell the young players to appreciate their opportunities and stressed the importance of showing appreciation to those who give time and talents to your benefit.  He finished by telling this impressionable young group to value what they have and to never forget to say the words " I love you" to those who mean the most to you.  Not a "Rah Rah" speech, but a moment to plant a seed in the hearts and minds of our next generation.

The local high school varsity team went out and won their game.  I can tell you that I don't know a single player on that team, but I was both proud of their performance and happy for them.  What I left with most is the knowledge that though the overall wins and losses are what the they will carry in the record books, the character built in their hearts and minds is what will carry them the rest of their lives.  I would be proud to have my son play for this coach someday.




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