EAGLE STRONG

I was blessed to be with an inspiring coaching staff last night at Madison Southern High School in Berea, KY. They are integrating the SportsLeader virtue program into all of their sports. Head football coach Jon Clark has been with us for over a year now and the impact that he and his staff have made on their athletes moved the Principal to want this school-wide.

Jon is an outstanding coach with a heart of gold. He is inspiring to say the very least.

 

When I arrived he was doing everything he could to get the new weight room finished, cleaned, platforms in place. You could see the fire in his eyes to help teach his boys to value new equipment and that this was all part of the process of creating an environment of virtue, of strength, of positive change.

 

At one point a group of players popped in to take a peek and it was rewarding to watch Coach Clark interact with these young men. You could tell that these young men loved their coach.

 

Coach shared an excellent story with me. Last year when he began adapting a virtue theme of the week, many of the players did not know what the words meant ... words like virtue, bold, determined ... they just weren't a part of their vocabulary.

 

Recently he called a team meeting and he asked his players to brainstorm and come up with the top 5 virtues that a Madison Southern High School football player should have. He watched and listened in amazement as his players argued about which virtues were the most important ... 

 

At the end of the evening as we were wrapping up Coach said something else that spoke volumes about what this is all about ... virtue and mentoring has above all made me a better person, made me a better coach. 

 

Virtue and mentoring CAN and WILL change our society. Keep plugging!

 

Maybe your kids did not "seem to listen" today ... maybe they don't "seem to be getting it".

 

Be Strong - they are. They will surprise you.