BECOMING A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS: April 2012

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living....

"The unexamined life is not worth living."
        This may have been the most famous quote of the Greek philosopher Socrates. And with good reason...Reflection is one of the most important things a person can do, both as a man and as a football coach. A small amount of time spent daily reflecting on what is important to us can allow us to stay true to our character and our values. It also forces us to prioritize the things that are really important to us. If we don't spend some time each day examining our lives and whether or not we are living up to our values, then it is very easy to go astray; to move away from being the type of man you want to be. Reflection is also very important as a coach. We need to examine the games from this past season, especially the losses, and try to pinpoint areas of improvement. We should also ask ourselves, "Are we the type of team that I want us to be?" . Is the identity of your team what you wanted to be known for? We should analyze the off the field program the same way, re-examing everything from the strength program to how we handled discipline.
         I talk some in this blog about the Human Computer and how we should strive to put the right things into our brain. Recently I started leaving a sheet next to my bed. On one side, I have the thoughts that I want to run thru before I go to sleep, on the other side I have some thoughts for the morning:

THE EVENING
"We should every night call ourselves to an account: What infirmity have I mastered today? What passions opposed? What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired? Our vices will abate of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift."
                                                   SENECA

"Spending a little time calculating the number of things that go right is a simple but powerful way to reactivate our sense of wonder and gratitude."
                                                    RICHARD CARLSON

THE MORNING
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love..."
                                                 MARCUS AURELIUS

"Every day that is born into the world comes like a burst of music and rings the whole day through, and you make of it a dance, a dirge, or a life march, as you will."
                                                         THOMAS CARLYLE

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
                                                           RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Monday, April 2, 2012

Free Coaching Clinic!!!!

...three words you rarely see aligned together. On the slim chance that some of you who read this may be located in the SouthEast...Brunswick High School in St Simons Island, GA is hosting their 3rd Annual Coaching Clinic on April 14...all high school coaches with speakers from GA, NC , & SC...the open forum at the end last year was one of the best things I have attended. There is no charge; they just like to get an idea of how many are coming...so contact Coach Chris Dodson at christopher.dodson@glynn.k12.ga.us or (864) 425-8156.

THE HUMAN COMPUTER

" The brain has two minds: the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious
mind accepts our thoughts and passes the information on to the subconscious,
which records, sorts, and produces our thoughts. I call this the Human Computer
because of its similar functions to the manufactured computers we use every day.
This process is the key determinant of the actions we will take.......There is a
simple secret that makes this computer analogy valuable. By controlling what
comes into your conscious mind, you can influence your own actions....The Human
Computer accepts as input whatever the conscious mind allows it to receive. Our
subconscious does not know the difference between what is real and what is
imagined; it only processes the input passed to it.........Give it clean,
wholesome, and positive information, and you will act as a person motivated by
those traits. Convey this to your team, and they, in turn, will become believers
and winners."

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

The purpose of this blog is to give me an outlet in which to concentrate my efforts to become a more well-rounded human being. When I turned 40 this year, I stopped and took a close look at my life, where I am and where I want to be, both professionally & personally. Twenty years from now, I want to be able to look back and see that I was not only a good football coach, but a good husband, a good father, and a good teacher. Too many times I see men that are successful in coaching at the expense of the other three. Can a man be successful in all four areas? I believe so. I have tried to prioritize the things that I wish to accomplish and identify the areas of personal development that I wish to improve. If someone else finds it interesting or wants to give feedback, please feel free.

Coach W