A player called me 15 years after he graduated.
I wasn't ready for what he said.
1/5
He wasn't one of my stars. He was the kid I was hardest on. The one I benched on several occasions. The one who never quite got there on the field, but always seemed to find a way to keep fighting and to win.
2/5
He called to tell me he'd survived numerous battlefield wounds serving our country in the war with Iraq. He said: "You were the one person in my life who told me I was capable of more and
that I could never quit because I hadnât scratched the surface of what I was capable ofâŠand that I couldnât lose if I never quit. Your belief in me helped me to survive when it was hopeless in war.â
3/5
I had to sit down. Because in those moments (15 years earlier) as a coach, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing. I was just holding the standard.
4/5
Fifteen years later he was calling to tell me the standard saved his life.
5/5
Love people enough to hold the standard. Even when they hate you for it. Especially then.
That call is why I keep doing this workâŠOur job isnât to be liked. Our mission is to create resilient humans who make a difference. Uphold the standard.