Sometimes we get so caught up in the duties of the day that we forget the impact we can have on the lives of those we coach, not only on the field but also in the classroom, the lunch room, the hallway - where ever.
The Power of Purpose: There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs.Thompson. And as she stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class." By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her studentsbrought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was. She put it on and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "pets." A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs.Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompsonmight agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you." Warm someone's heart today. Pass this along. Never underestimate the Power of Purpose.
Jeffrie Banks batted .435 and hit two home runs in 1998. He also started at fullback and nose guard on a 15-0 State Championship team. In the weight room Jeffrie benches 250, Squats 440, and Power Cleans 245. When he was 14 years old, Jeffrie had his arm cut off by a saw while working at the sawmill. Three weeks after the accident Jeffrie went to the football field for Pee Wee Football. "I just thought maybe I could just kick," Jeffrie said. "The Coach thought the same. One game I asked if I could carry the ball and play defense. I gave a couple of licks and took a couple. Everyone saw I was just the same person." In the state Championship game Jeffrie caught a pass to put his team up 10-0 at half time "because they weren't respecting me" and leaving him wide open. He plans on going to college with or without sports. "You just have to have an education," he explains.
BFS Journal story 1999.
Taken from a book on Kurt Warner...
Dick Vermeil kept a wheelbarrow on the sidelines the entire year of the Rams remarkable run to the Super Bowl. When asked why, he told this story:
A man came into a small farm town and declared that in one week he was going to walk a highwire across the canyon while pushing a wheelbarrow. Everyone scoffed except one farmer who went out to the edge of town to watch him practice.
The farmer saw the man walking on a wire about five feet off the ground, and sure enough, he was pushing that wheelbarrow with ease.
One week went by and the big day was at hand. The farmer tried telling all his friends that this guy might be for real. He said, "I've been watching him and I BELIEVE he can do it." They continued to scoff so he said, "I believe so strongly that he can do it, that I will bet $20 with anyone who thinks he can't."
Just before the feat began, the stranger came down to talk to the crowd. The farmer told him he believed he could do it. The man replied, "Do you REALLY think I can do it?" "Yep," said the farmer. The man continued to press, "I mean are you CONVINCED I can do it?" The farmer said, "Look, I'm so sure that I even bet $20 with anyone who would listen to me. THAT's how sure I am." The performer looked him in the eye and said, "If you really believe, then get in the wheelbarrow!"
Coach Vermeil's point was that it is easy to sit on the sidelines and say "I believe" in something. If you really believe, get in the wheelbarrow. The 1999 St. Louis Rams did.
Writer Norman Cousins used to tell about a football game at which a doctor found himself treating five spectators for stomach disorder. Each complained of nausea, dizziness and cramps. Upon checking, the doctor learned that all five had previously consumed soft drinks from the concession stands. In the interest of protecting public safety, an announcement was made to the crowd that it would be wise to forego drinks in the stadium because certain people were becoming ill.
By the third quarter of the game, 200 people were reporting the same symptoms. Fully half of them were taken to a nearby hospital. Later in the afternoon the doctor determined that his five original patients had eaten potato salad from the same delicatessen on the way to the game. The potato salad, not the drinks, was apparently the culprit.
Word was spread and those who were sick immediately began to feel better. The fans taken to the hospital were sent home as their symptoms quickly disappeared. Which all goes to show the tremendous power of belief. What we believe to be true will often become true. And not only in matters of health.
The power of our beliefs will dramatically affect those important decisions we make. Like automaker Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or not, you are right." If you believe you will succeed or fail, you are probably right. If you believe strongly enough that something good or bad will surely happen to you, it likely will. And if you believe that your life can become no less than a beautiful work of art, your belief will make it so.
Mahatma Gandhi found this principle to be true in his own experience. "If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it," the Indian leader said. "But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it, even if I did not have the ability in the beginning." Your belief has the power to marshal needed resources and attract people who can help. That belief, more than any other single factor, will bring about what you want in life.
Speaker Nido Qubein put it like this: "If you believe you can, and believe it strongly enough, you'll be amazed at what you can do."
Believe it!
Last night, late, I made up a'highlight' tape of our past victories over tonight's opponent. One would declare them our biggest rival. They are the local Catholic, private school in our league. Since I have been here, we have defeated them every year (3).
This years team can be the first team to defeat LaSalle four years in a row. That's an accomplishment. So to remind them of our past victories, I made this tape showing our best plays from the past threee years. Lots of TD runs and BIG hits on defense.
Today I made a cassette tape of college fight songs to go along with the video including our high school fight song from WISC several times on the tape.
It fires me and the rest of the faculty in the hall right up. I will let you know how it goes over with the kids.
It worked - The kids liked it too. After showing it, we
went out and beat them BIG again!
RUN OFFENSE DEFENSE MOTIVATION PASS OFFENSE FEEDBACK LINKS ABOUT FREEB ORDER _________ Copyright 2001 by Roger A. Freeborn All Rights Reserved