Today I was reading about how we all serve in some capacity as a teacher. Whether we are a school teacher, Sunday school teacher, coach, mentor, boss, manager, trainer or parent we spend portions of our time teaching. As a veteran teacher my goal is to consistently model the behavior, actions, language and professionalism that I would expect a teacher to model for my own children when they attended school. Keeping a focus on that can be challenging on some days, especially when the week is grinding to a halt and you have been dealing with teenagers and teenager things all week. The same applies to managers, parents, bosses, coaches and others as our patience, leadership and example is tested daily as we fulfill our chosen career paths and dreams. I pray for God to guide me and inspire me through his word to be the best possible husband, father, brother, friend, family man, coach, teacher and mentor I can be.

More importantly I want to be the best Christian example I can for my student athletes. That does not require you to cross the lines between religion and schools to accomplish this goal. If you model the best behavior, speak, listen, guide and lead your organization, team or classroom with a sound fundamental set of biblical values then they will see the light in you. They will know who you really are, what you are about and what you value. I have recently been working with a young lady that has a really bad home life and she has been challenged for sure in her life time. The parents are not role models for her and she has began to follow their lead. As her teacher I have taken on the task of modeling behavior for her that she needs to understand about real life when she becomes an adult.

Over the period of a few weeks I have already seen a difference in her thought pattern, language and attitude. She ask me one day why I was always so cheerful and happy. I could only say to her that I was blessed to be here working with my student athletes and peers. I told her that we all choose our path of life and can overcome challenges laid before us. I told her we can change our lives for the better and break the cycle of poverty, drugs, violence, single mom issues and other things that she witnesses daily. She smiled and said I beleive I can do that Coach. That is what we do as teachers, we work daily to inspire our people to build a brighter future, face obstacles head on and challenge life. We can do this by modeling the behavior we expect from them as if they were our own children.

It is not my job to tell them how to think, live or act. It is my job to show them that living a happy, healthy and fruitful life will reap them the benefits they deserve and desire. John Maxwell wrote that “God uses ordinary people who are obedient to him to do extraordinary things”. That quote sticks out to me and I like to seek Gods grace, guidance and mercy as I pursue being extra for my kids, family, friends and community. You can be extra in a good way if you are obedient and model the behaviors God expects of us.

Coach B!