From the desk of Wally Dawkins, Athletic Director:

The poster has made an indelible impression upon me for many years. If you can imagine the picture of a man, standing halfway between two impressions. Above him and to his right, is a picture of the heavens, with a bright light shining out from above the clouds. Obviously representing God, The Father. Below him and to his left, is a picture of the planet earth as it would look if taken by a satellite, from thousands of miles away. Suspended in the middle of those two impressions is the man, with one hand reaching out in an effort to grasp what is Godly, while the other hand stretches out in an attempt to grasp “the world.”

The heading of the poster reads, “THE MOST MISERABLE MAN IN THE WORLD.”

This poster is in obvious reference to the man who is trying to serve two masters. One side of this person wants what is holy and spiritual, while the other side of the man grasps for the riches and material attractions of the world. We are told this is impossible in Matthew 6:24, “Ye cannot serve both God and mammon.”

An attempt to serve both, will make a person “miserable.”

On a less serious side, over the years I have seen athletes who are constantly trying to serve “two masters.”  It’s not the God or The World choice…but coach and parent.

As parents, our agenda is usually somewhat skewed. If you don’t believe me, I encourage you to go to your child’s next game. The sport doesn’t matter. Video your child’s game. Now go home and watch the video. Watch the video and see who you are the most focused on. For 99% of the parents, you will catch yourself videoing the movements and play of your child more so than that of the team.

It’s those children we like to video that end up playing a cruel trick on those of us who are parents. It’s called the “I have to have you, I really need you, I no longer need you trick. When your child is young, chances are you are the source selecting the activities your child is involved in. Financing the cost of the activities. Providing transportation to the activities. And even the coaching of the activities, which probably includes researching the activity to become more knowledgeable which means being able to provide insight and instruction.

All of a sudden, your child is in Middle School. Suddenly, your role as parent…changes. They have a coach. They have a driver.You as the parent, find yourself on the outside…looking in.

This is the normal progression. It happens to all of us. Although we can find ourselves feeling a little awkward or left out, it actually is the best way, the right way and most advantageous way for the your athlete to succeed.

On many occasions, I have seen the athlete become “the most miserable man (or woman) in the world” because the parent is telling them one way to do things, while the coach is instructing the athlete to do it a different way. The athlete tries to please both, and ends up in a bad mental state because if the two entities…parent and coach, are promoting different points of view, the athlete gets caught “dangling” in the middle. Just like the poster.

Once our kids enter Middle School, and play on the school team, athletes should focus on discovering what it is the coach is wanting them to do, and then work hard at trying to do it.  The parent’s role now shifts to encourager, counselor, and the biggest fan. Of the child and the team.

Parents who second guess, criticize, or directly oppose the direction the school coach…in front of the child, end up only hurting the child. Now don’t get me wrong, parents can provide useful tips on how to improve their child’s individual game, while bettering their skills and fundamentals. But parents also need to know when it is time to “back off” and allow the coach to be…the coach.

At Brook Hill, we have hired 20 full-time coaches to not only improve our students athletically, but to promote academic success and spiritual development. Encouraging your child to follow the directions and strategies set forth by the coach will not only cause the child to be a “happier camper,” but allow the parent to focus on instilling self-confidence while being “supporter-in-chief” of their athlete.

Believe me, this approach works!

And that’s another reason to be “ALL ORANGE”…All The Time!