Little Eyes Are Watching

Last week, I wrote about the impact that educators can have on our lives and the influence they have on the adults we become.

Our lives are filled with episodes, mere moments really, that change us.  That make us who we are.  For better or worse. 

When they happen, we never realize at the time that our life just got changed. 

I've told the story here about how my high school football coach changed this underachieving youngster (me) by his words "if he works at it, he can be a good one."

From that single comment, delivered to someone visiting football practice who was asking about me, I developed a work ethic that has served me well.

Just this week, I watched a colleague talking to a young athlete.  I was on the other side of our clinic so couldn't hear her words. 

It seemed like (and later confirmed) my colleague was complimenting the girl's hair and then her sweater.  You could see the delight in the in the youngster's body language. 

Maybe she didn't get complimented often.  I know that my colleague is a wonderful lady herself and a positive role model for those athletes that she serves.

What I watched was just further affirmation of the influence we can have on others without even realizing it.

For some reason, my wife and I have watched a couple of movies in recent weeks that featured basketball coaches that did a lot of yelling.   They were successful so they probably did a fair amount of coaching too but I'm pretty sure nobody looked at those coaches and said "that's who I want my child to play for."

The last coach that I encountered around here that I didn't particularly care for got the attention of his players by stomping his foot on the ground. 

Acting like a 3 year old is what I used to think about when this coach would stomp his foot on the floor.  I've watched the youngest of my grandchildren when he is at wit's end about something.  He sometimes demonstrate the same stomp.  Where do they learn this stuff?

I wonder if that's how this coach wants to be remembered.  I doubt it.  He probably just wants to be remembered by this wins.

We must always think about the influence we are having on others, every moment of every day.  I try and take that attitude.  Every moment.  Every day.  

For me, it all started (in another story I've told too many times) when a buddy and I were doing something we shouldn't have been doing at about age 10 and a young mother watching us told her small child "don't grow up like them."  It changed me.  On the spot.

We tell our athletes that they should be role models, that little eyes are always watching you.   Well, they are. 

Watching how you act, how you run, how you play the game. Hearing what you say and how you say it.  Copying your mannerisms and your attitude.

What do you want to be remembered for?