We had “Back to School Sunday” at church yesterday. Our pastor had all of the school-age children come up on stage and we prayed for them. Verrrrrry cool! Then, his message really hit home. He talked about the “Next Generation” and how we, as adults… parents, coaches, teachers are responsible for investing in their lives. There were several strong statements that he made but I’ll share two of them.
One was: “If you are investing in a kid or teen, you are making history! Perhaps the most fun I have on Facebook is reconnecting with my former players. Nothing makes my spirit soar any higher than to hear that a former player is succeeding in life— good family man, holding down a good job, loving Jesus! It makes me so proud to think that I had a small part in forming that young man’s character. Pastor Michael pointed out that we can’t “see” it right now but… pouring into these young peoples’ lives is going to affect the future of the world. He told how his 3rd grade Sunday School teacher impacted him so much as a child. Little did she know that she was teaching the future pastor of a church of over 3000 people! You never know!!!
The second point was in relationship to church but… it applies to football or the classroom or… wherever you have contact with teens or children. He asked the question: “How are we at having FUN??!!!” Most people don’t need an attitude adjustment, they need a fun adjustment!!! I know there’s a time to be serious when talking about football. But, are you taking the time to include a little “fun” in your practices? When you are constantly putting pressure on your players, pretty soon something is going to break! I don’t want football season to be something that our players look forward to ending! I want them to enjoy what we’re doing and to have fun! NOT being silly or childish but… incorporating ways to make the experience something positive that they’ll want to come back to again and again.
