Staying in Shape

A friendly note from my brother. He has some good nuggets of wisdom and motivation here that I know can and should pay attention to.

Thanks-Buck!

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Hey Lou!

I'm always impressed with your Sports Leader emails. The stories are great, and it's amazing to hear about coaches and players internalizing the lessons.

In addition to modeling good behavior and values, there's another way that coaches can be role models for young players: through their health. I'm not sure what most of the coaches in the Sports Leader program look like, but when I was growing up, many of the coaches I saw, at my school and others, were all overweight.

In fact, quite a few of the adults in our community were overweight. I just assumed that everyone was destined to be fat and out of shape when they reached adulthood. It wasn't until I moved to Denver that I saw fit and healthy looking adults, from folks in their mid-20's all the way to spry 70 year olds. It was both a revelation and inspiration to me.

Now you know I'm not the most religious person, but in mind, caring for your body should be a part of everyone's spiritual life. Maintaining and strengthening the body is a form of gratitude, a recognition of the physical gifts and blessings that you've been given. 

Athletic activity shouldn't stop after high school or college graduation. If players are working hard on the field or the court, coaches can learn from them, too, and put in their own hard work to stay fit.

So, what I guess I'm saying is this: I'd love to see you encourage coaches to be mindful of their health. Players are looking at their appearances, not just what they're wearing, as an example of how adults care for themselves. 

Just my two cents.