SUCCESSS WITHOUT INTEGRITY IS ALSO WITHOUT VALUE

Last week I wrote about how work was essential to success and that it wasn't always going to be easy.  I'd like to add this week that success without integrity is  also without value.

Some of the best stories out there about integrity in sports can be found on social media.  Like the special needs kid in New Mexico that was inserted at the end of a basketball game and allowed to score a basket. 

Or another that scored a touchdown for his football team and his teammates and opponents celebrated together. 

You may remember several years ago about a college softball player that was injured while running out a home run.  The opposing team carried her around the bases.  Her own team couldn't touch her or it would have negated the run. 

Think about that....the OPPOSING team carried her.  Call it sportsmanship, character, compassion--whatever.  It certainly reflects integrity.

If you follow football around here at all, you've heard about T.D. Blackman.  All State linebacker.  Signed to play football at the Air Force Academy. 

It's been my pleasure to be around this young man for the past four years.  His perpetual smile exceeds only his uncanny ability to always be in the right place at the right time on the football field as my favorite traits of T.D.

But someone mentioned to me this week an episode where the character of the young man was on display.  He performed an act of kindness with no chance of anything in return.  That's T.D.  That's integriy.

This year, I watched several of my student trainers perform random acts of kindness toward others.  I was more proud of them doing that than pretty much anything else they could have done.

And there's one really special soccer player that really didn't know what an incredible deed she was doing when she simply treated someone with incredible kindness.

I was examining her ankle at football practice when a young man that falls under that category of "special needs" came up.  Obviously quite enamored of this pretty girl, he really was uncomfortably close.  He just really didn't know any better.  His behavior was not inappropriate, just awkward.

Most teenage girls would have withdrawn, at least shunned the invasion of their space. Some would have visibly demonstrated their displeasure.  Not this one.  She was  nice to him, even tried to make him comfortable.

I'll not embarrass either party by mentioning names but some mom and dad have every reason to be proud.  It was a brief, minor episode but revealed SO much about her character.  I will be a fan forever.

I happen to firmly believe that our best deeds are done without anyone knowing who did them.  Or not doing them on a stage where our actions or our intentions are obvious.

When we do things without any expectations of return, our true character is revealed--the depth of our integrity is revealed. 

And success in any arena, sports or life, without integrity is not worthy of us.