This week's Pep Talk: "It's Rewarding"

One of the wonderful things this condition called life has brought into my stratosphere of late is coaching kids, teams, businesses, coaches and others on how to play like champions in the game of life.

Life is challenging to say the least. Man, rarely does it go according to plan, right? Well, I’m blessed to be able to encourage others to lead a successful life. And for me, just my opinion, a successful life focuses on thoughts, words and actions that honor us, nurture those dependent upon us and add value to the communities we serve. I know, it’s not the only way to success, but I think it’s effective.

Anyway, I’ve been working with an athlete who plays on a team that really could use somebody to step forward as a leader. From our discussions, and from what I’ve seen in person, the coach is not really providing that right now. There’s plenty of butt chewing going on but little encouragement. This team needs a chief encouragement officer. I’ve suggested – planted the seed if you will – “If not the coach, why not you?”

It’s not easy to always be encouraging, right? There are times when, being encouraging, defined as “to give hope and confidence to” is the LAST thing we desire. And there’s no guarantee our efforts will bear any productive fruit, right? Do it anyway. We know, from moments in our own lives, when there was somebody – especially in our tough times – who believed in us, it was transforming.

It’s a Saturday afternoon as I write this, basketball, thanks to the Nuggets, Buffs and Bears dominate the sports talk world and for whatever reason, my mind wanders to my very first high-school football game. The Raytown South Cardinals hosting the North Kansas City Hornets. I’m a sophomore - back then high school was sophomore through senior – making my varsity debut. The Cardinals are marching, on the very first drive, inside the opponents’ ten-yard line when I screwed up big time. On a play, “T-36 Pass”, I failed to executive properly and threw the ball right to a defender who raced 99 yards in the other direction for a touchdown.

As I jogged off the field, head down in disappointment, Ray-South’s head coach Vance Morris met me before reaching the sidelines. “You know what you did wrong don’t you? He said with a grin. “Yeah coach, sorry” was my lame response. Then he added, with an even broader grin, something I’ll never forget. “That’s okay. I know it will never happen again.”

Coach Morris was, when I really needed it, a chief encouragement officer. The player I’m coaching about challenging times could be a team chief encouragement officer. We could be the same for somebody this week. It ain’t always easy, but I promise you, it’s rewarding.