As Mentors We Have To Get Coached Ourselves

A great Good Friday message. Take it to heart!

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It is obvious we have to teach our young men (and young women!) virtue.  Character, doing right, virtue, Godliness, whatever you want to call it, it still boils down to trying to get young people to discover what really is important, what life really is about, what true joy on this earth really consists of.  Words like honesty, integrity, perseverance, respect, love, hope, self-discipline, responsibility, etc.., etc.., etc.. have to be taught to young athletes, more so today than ever;  so many kids aren't getting ANYTHING from adults outside the playing field.  If you don't have a virtue program in place in your sport or are working on one, you are doing a great diservice to your kids.

I'm discovering the new phenomenon that kids don't even want to play sports in high school.  It's not like there aren't enough kids around or they are working a job or helping out the family either.  So many of our boys are just hanging out, playing video games, talking, watching TV, etc..  And wrestling, running, practicing, is HARD WORK!! They aren't used to being pushed, physically, mentally and spiritually.  We've become so soft! Heck, we can't even watch TV anymore unless we have a remote control!...it's too much work getting up and changing the channels!  

Wow!  I know George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are just turning over in their graves.  And there are so few good men, pushing the boys in their daily lives that playing a sport these days is just too tough.  Another factor we must not overlook is, I know there is a lot of fear. Teens are so afraid of looking bad, losing, being made fun of,that so many of my potential wrestlers(and your athletes too, I'm sure), don't come out.  The singlet ... wrestling ...? I ain't going to get slammed, it's too much time, I don't know what I'm doing....are all excuses for I'M AFRAID!

We have to keep this in mind when we are dealing with young people.  And they have a right to be afraid, nobody has ever shown them a skill, or how to lose gracefully, or the real reason we play sports......it's not about winning or losing the fight...it's just about the FIGHT!  Playing sports, wrestling is about the fight, the struggle. We know this as adults and veterans.  We forget so often this fact though because WE want to win so bad, we embarrass them when they lose. 

But think about it, if we can get them out, once we get them out, then we can make them virtuous, but we have to get them out, FIRST.  This is a HUGE TASK in this day and age.  But it's a task that is a job description for the modern day coach. We have to be the man to help them overcome their fears, to talk to them, encourage them, lift them up...to love them, to get them out and to keep them out.

To get boys to overcome their fears, to talk to boys seriously, to encourage them, to lift them up, to discipline them..to love them involves a tremendous effort.  Quite honestly, it can only be done by God.  We can't lead boys to virtue, to strength, to courage, to God unless God is aiding us.  There are too many traps put in our way to believe we can do it alone.  We have to turn to God for guidance, for strategy, for perseverance when that kid skips practice for the 10th time, for patience when that boy give you terrible effort in practice, for love when that immature boy acts like an immature boy. 

As mentors we have to get coached...ourselves. God is that coach. You know it and I know it, we are all too stupid to do it alone. And this is the coolest thing about this whole experience, that by coaching young people efficiently, by sacrificing for young people to become great people, we the coaches/mentors are sanctified! We need God to help us get boys to need God. The boys are brought to God, us the coaches are brought to God, our families are brought to God.  Everybody wins!  Isn't this just mind boggling?!  Isn't this so cool?!  

I'm so jacked right now, thinking about it.  For me to get to heaven, I have to coach.  I have to coach well. I have to coach with everything I have. I have to coach virtue. And this is ok, because......I love to coach!  I love to coach well, I love to coach with everything I have, I love to coach virtue!

Do not turn down this opportunity for sanctification!  Do not turn down this opportunity to love!  Do not turn down this opportunity to love God!  The mission is our life......when are you going to start living?

Happy Good Friday, Happy Easter!
Love and admiration,
Coach Willertz
Winton Woods Wrestling-Faith-Focus-Fight!