Follow the Follower (next post 2/4)

As Coaches we are leaders. Leadership is implied by the title, isn't it? What do leaders do? Well, they lead. The buck stops with them, they chart the course, they pave the way, they make the plans, and so on.

What else do leaders do? They follow. Watch an NFL playoff game and you'll see it. Lovie Smith learned from Tony Dungy who learned from Chuck Noll. Rex Ryan learned from his Dad. Mike McCarthy learned from Paul Hackett who learned from John Robinson. It seems like half the playcallers in the NFL can be traced back to Bill Walsh, and certainly Coach Walsh wasn't born an offensive guru. He had to follow someone else first too.

Great leaders are followers of great leaders. And every one of us is following someone or something. I watched a very gifted pastor a couple weeks back, and marveled at his command of God's Word and his ability to communicate truth to our congregation. It dawned on me that it's possible for him to be so effective only because he must be doing a really, really good job of following Jesus in his own life. And thinking about that made me want to do the same. I want to lead effectively - in my family and in my work, and the only way I can do that at my maximum potential is to allow God to lead others through me. Sound weird? Maybe.

In John chapter 10, Jesus talks about how his followers, or "sheep", recongnize his voice. He pledges to "lay down his life for his sheep", a very strong statement regarding the love he has for those who follow him. He states that he gives his sheep eternal life, and that no one can snatch them from his hand. He is leading them toward eternal safety, and they gladly follow. Reading that makes me wonder, do those who follow me recognize my voice and understand the love I have for them? Or do I communicate selfishness that causes them to tune me out? Do they know where I am leading them? For that matter, do I know where I'm leading them? Am I relying on the Lord to lead me as I lead others? Can I honestly look my sons, athletes, other Coaches in the eye and say to them, "follow me as I follow Jesus"?

80's Lyric

Follow me into a solo

Get in the flow - and you can picture like a photo

Music mixed mellow maintains to make

Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks

- Eric B. and Rakim (1988)

Struggle (next post 1/21)

If you've seen any ESPN over the past couple weeks, you probably saw that the UConn women's basketball team saw its streak of 90 straight victories come to an end. What you maybe missed was the radio interview that Coach Geno Auriemma did about a year ago when he said that if they continued to go unbeaten into 2011 that he would walk away because there would be no point to continuing on without any competition. I don't think he was being serious - he wasn't going to quit the year before coaching in the 2012 Olympics. But even if joking, Coach Auriemma still made a point. Without a challenge to overcome, or a hill of some sort to climb, life is dull.

How often do I just want my life to be easy? How often do the athletes we coach want things to be easy? It's not too tough to understand that when life is easy, we are not challenged and pushed. We don't get better. Even more than that, when life is easy, it's probably nice for a while, but then it gets boring. Here's an example from my life this week: you might think this is dumb, but I don't care. My sons got a basketball hoop for Christmas, and before it could be used, it needed to be put together. For many, that's no big deal, you're probably pretty handy around the house. But for me, when I opened that box and saw all those pieces and directions, it made me want to burst into tears. I just don't do well with putting stuff together or building, and trying to follow the assembly instructions that come with things makes me ill. I don't know how people make sense of those things.

Anyway, I decided I was going to put this thing together myself. I took my time, followed the instructions, even improvised when needed. When I felt like quitting I thought about how much fun my boys would have shooting hoops in the yard. Eventually, it was finished. It probably took me an hour or so more than it would have taken someone who's got talent; someone like my Dad or my wife, but I did it. And honestly, when it was over I was glad it had been at least a little challenging. I was glad to have, in some small way, overcome an obstacle or two.

Let's be clear, the challenge of building a basketball goal or even coaching a team to 90 straight wins doesn't compare with the real-life challenges that many people face each day. Some types of challenges are much easier to be grateful for than others. But I bet a part of Geno Auriemma is glad that his team has some competition again. And he quite possibly has a newfound respect for his colleagues. If sports (and life) are about competing, then let's thank God for those people and circumstances that force us to strive to be the best we can be. I'll be thinking about that every time I shoot hoops with my kids.

80's Lyric

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

- Survivor (1982)