Category: strength

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Yesterday on the way home I was thinking about the past 15 months and all this Corona 19 mess and the health issues that not only myself but hundreds of thousands of people have faced this last year. We had no idea the Corona Virus would take such a toll on us physically, mentally and at times spiritually. Corona Virus did lots of damage, took lives, damaged the body and left all those people missing someone or working hard to recover from the stupid cough, headaches, lack of energy and other lingering effects. I was talking to a co-worker about this past year and she made the comment that she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired”.

That made me begin to think about my own journey this past 15 months and the health related issues I faced due to Covid 19, its lingering effects and the reasons it may have taken such a hold on me. I was the classic candidate if you follow the “so-called” experts. I was in my 50’s, overweight, diabetic and had a previous heart condition. All of those things combined put me at a higher risk and unfortunately Covid 19 struck my family and me. It made me very sick and put me in the hospital. Like so many others I spent time recovering and for a few days I was not sure I would leave the hospital at all, breathing that is.

I came home and after a long recovery and some continued lingering effects I had become tired of being tired. The struggle was real and then I became sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I sat down with my wife and we decided together to lose weight, become healthier and live our best life. Life and the things that happen in it will make you become tired of being sick and tired. No energy, headaches, achy joints and back aches become a nuisance to people. Then they become a habit or something you just get used to living with. However, to change the past we have to redirect our intentions, habits and behaviors to overcome the same old sick and tired.

When you become sick and tired of being sick and tired you’ll make the decision to change your life and press forward. I am now down 54 pounds, 5 or 6 pant sizes and into a brand new shirt size for the first time in forever. I feel better than I have in thirty years and am working hard and consistently to overcome the past mistakes, break old habits and live my best life. I say ask yourself, are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Seriously, are really sick and tired of being sick and tired? When you decide you are then you will attack life and go after it so you then begin to feel better than ever because you feel better than ever.

Step one is to become sick and tired of being sick and tired. Step two is now that you realize your sick and tired. Take action towards fixing what made you become sick and tired of being sick and tired. Step three is to change old habits, go hard, work hard and overcome. Step four is to feel better than ever and know that you never have to once again, be sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Relationships: Marriage and Love

Tomorrow night my baby girl Brooke is getting married. She is marrying the man of her dreams and I have to admit he checks off all the items on my dad list also. He is responsible, has a good job and skills to make a very good living, treats Brooke like a queen, has good credit, vehicle and a home. He also loves my wife and is one of the few people that can pick at her and go at her and get away with it so he is a keeper. It helps that he is very good with mechanical work, electrical work and hands on skills. Jonathan is what I call a mans man and I appreciate his love and care for my daughter. I could go on and on about the things I checked off about him that are part of providing for her and the future family they will have in the coming years.

There is more to marriage than credit, jobs, houses and being a hard worker. My wife and I have been married for right about 28 years (in June) and through all the years we have seen great times, really tough times, bad health, good credit, bad credit, money, no money, bills piling up, no bills etc. What got us through all those years was our spiritual connection to one another. We always supported each other in our careers, worked as a team with raising our children and kept respect at the top of the list. Marriage to some people is a quick decision that they regret and walk away from. Marriage to me is a fulltime commitment that is made in the eyes of God.

A great marriage will endure all things if it is built on love, patience, kindness, respect, truth, hope, encouragement and inspiration. My wife inspired me all of our marriage with her silly quirks, things she says and does, reactions, attitudes and behaviors. No marriage is perfect and it takes work to stay together, not fold or quit on each other. Marriage is hard at times and will test your mental focus and ability to keep going. With this being said I am giving my list of things a marriage must have to succeed and be fruitful as God intended the union to be. One man and one woman joining hands, vowing to love and nurture one another for life until death do them part.

1- A marriage must be founded on faith. Faith in God and faith in each other. Faith is the foundation of success and will get you through all the bad times and help you be more gracious during the great times.

2- A marriage takes total commitment. Marriage is not a part time job or temporary thing you walk away from. Marriage is built on two committed people that have each others back regardless.

3- A marriage must have love in it. I am talking about a special kind of love. Someone once asked me how you know if the person your with is the one. I looked at him and said “son, when you see her do you get goose bumps? When you are away from her do you think about her and cannot wait to get home and see her”. That is marriage and the love needed to make it!

4- A marriage must be built on mutual respect for one another. Marriage is a compromise of two people and families. It must include respect for the other persons mind, body and soul. Respect is much deeper than talking nice or making them feel good. Respectful marriage is you and her, two are now one and must stay that way.

5- A strong marriage requires great communication skills. You must communicate with each other daily, and stay in touch often while away from one another. I communicate with my wife all the time, we check with each other, text, make a quick call or just send a quick message to let them know that you love, cherish and honor your spouse and are Thankful they are in your life.

6- A good marriage requires hard work, dedication, discipline and determination to succeed. If I can give my daughter and her man any advice it will be to stick with it. Battle through the tough times, push through the hard times and love each other regardless of the pitfalls, setbacks and bumps in the road. Stay the course and stay strong.

There are all kinds of other descriptive words like trust, hope, grace, mercy, kindness, understanding, and so many more that apply. Most of all love each other, stick with it and make it work. Let nothing tear apart what you build and make sure God is always in the mix. Never build a house on a sandy beach because it will crumble when a bog storm arises. Build a marriage on a firm foundation of rock and it will stand for time.

1st Corinthians 13: 4-7; Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I am very proud of my daughter and her future husband. I look forward to seeing them grow old together if the good Lord allows me to stay around that long. Love is patient, love is kind, love is the foundation a great marriage is built on.

Coach B

Advice: Four Ways to Live Your Best Life

We all desire to live a prosperous life filled with excitement, fun and vigor. Finding out how to accomplish that is not always easy as we do this daily grind called life. Below are four ways to be on the way to a full life, a prosperous life and wonderful results from it. Live your life and do it the best you can.

  1. Be your best self physically, spiritually and emotionally. To be your best self you have to feel good about things. Are you physically able to live your best life and if not, what changes can you make to correct that. Are you spiritually sound and grounded in faith? Regardless of who you worship you need a firm foundation to lean on and seek guidance and help from. Are you emotionally stable to pursue life and move forward. If any of these are lacking and need work then get with it and start the process of fixing them now.
  2. Take an accounting of yourself and your attitudes. What is your attitude towards life, people, work and play? Do you need to make adjustments to that attitude and improve it so you can live your best life.
  3. Identify and fix bad habits. What bad habits do you have and can you correct them to live your best life. Eating habits, exercise habits, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and other things can get in the way of living your best and longest life. Change what you can and slowly work to become a better version of yourself.
  4. Set your intentions and goals. What is it you want to do and how will you get there? Living your best life is different for everyone so set your intentions and goals towards that ultimate life experience.

Proverbs 16:9; The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Coach B

Inspiration: The Word Impossible Spells I’m Possible

Impossible is a word we have all heard at some point in our life. This is a very negative and non-supportive way for people to acknowledge your goals, dreams and visions. You will not, You cannot, You might not, That is crazy, What a stupid idea, What in the world are you thinking, How do you expect to do that and so many other negative ways we hear someone tell us that things are impossible. Well, I here to tell you that all things are possible. In fact, the word Impossible actually spells out I’m Possible. Yes, it spells out the words we need to know, believe and hear.

You are possible, this can happen, you can do it, you have got this, what can I do to help you, sounds like you have a great plan, I know you can be successful, what a great idea, I love the way you are attacking the possible. These statements make us feel much better and motivate us to reach higher, work harder, go faster, stay focused and accomplish the possible. Along the way will it be easy trying to achieve the possible, absolutely not. Will people tell you it is impossible, absolutely yes. The difference is what you believe, think and the actions you take in the process of making the impossible the “possible” in life.

You are possible, all things are possible and it can be yours with dedication, determination, discipline and time. Believe it is possible, chase it and watch it happen. Then when it becomes a reality because you thought it was possible the negative people that told you no will suddenly want you to show them how it is possible instead of impossible. It happens because you are possible and God has your back!

Mark 9:23; And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Matthew 17:20; He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Blessings on becoming I’M Possible!

Coach B

Life: Simple Life Rules To Live By

We live our life’s based on our values, morals, and beliefs. These are formed as we live our life going through the different cycles. We learn as toddlers, school age, teenagers, young adults, middle ages and older adulthood. We learn these guiding principals from our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends, school mates, coaches, teachers, mentors, pastors and many other people. I was blessed with an awesome set of parents and grand parents that taught me the values that guide me still to this day. Everyone has a different set of values and that is the beauty of growing up, learning, living and having life experiences that shape and often change those values.

I am different from when I was 18, 25, 35, 45 and now at 55 have basically the same set of values but they have changed some. Some things I may have changed my mind own, others I may have softened my stance on and some I refuse to budge on. I did my best to teach my own kids the things I thought were valuable in life and allowed them to form their own belief systems. As a teacher I do my best to teach good life values without trying to influence my students politically, religiously or change their thought process. The list of things below are some of these basic values that do not cost a person anything but time, thought and a little energy.

It is our duty to teach our children good basic life values and let them learn, experience, make mistakes and grow as they get older in the process. It is not our job to indoctrinate children with our thought processes, ideals and morals or lack of morals. Teachers should not be focusing on changing kids attitudes to meet their thought process, but instead should be teaching basic values and allow the children to make their own decisions. If those decisions differ from the teacher, then so be it.

1- Smile: A smile just makes people feel good. Smiling is positive, gives off good energy and is contagious. Everyday I stand near my door and say good morning to my students, other staff members and whomever I greet and smile at them. Try it and see what happens!

2- Be Kind: You have the power to make people feel good about themselves. A kind word, act or moment can be the difference in a life. Be kind, be nice, be cordial, be happy and it will also be contagious to those around you. You determine your attitude and if you are kind or mean.

3- Never Ever Give Up: Never give up on life, family, friends, goals, dreams and visions. Push through the setbacks, losses, missteps and continue to fight for what you want. Giving up breeds failure, failure breeds self doubt, self doubt breeds a negative attitude. Show up, battle, fight, push yourself, grow and win at life.

4- Do not compare: I spoke to a young teacher this week and she was all tied up in her mind about what the other young teachers were doing or not doing. What she had done was lose focus on herself and her special skills because she was too worried about comparing herself to others. We come in all sizes, colors, attitudes, backgrounds, education, family life, work life and all those other things. I cannot compare myself to a Hall of Fame coach as I have never built the credentials for that honor. But I can look at what they do and beg, borrow and steal a few ideas to be me and do me.

5- Avoid Negativity: Nobody likes or wants to be around a negative person. They are what I call an energy vampire and steal your energy and flat line your thought process. Avoid being negative, avoid negative people and place yourself at a higher standard than those that choose to live in self pity and negativity. Bottom line is the only person that can bring or take you down is yourself. I recently have been on a weight loss, getting healthy journey and after losing a pretty quick 20 pounds the loss suddenly slowed to a crawl. Then two weeks later I was still at the same weight, stuck at 21.7 pounds lost. I found myself being a bit mad at the results and had a little hissy fit over it. Then my wonderful wife who is also on that journey with me said “just be glad you got the first 20 off”. It brought me back and I needed that positive thought in a moment of weakness.

6- Make Peace With Your Past: You cannot move forward in life, relationships, work, jobs, play, family and spiritually until you settle the past. Take an accounting of it, wipe off the books and move on. Stepping backwards will always slow your roll forwards. Forgive, forget and move on from the injuries, thoughts, fear and issues holding you back. Live life to its fullest and do not allow the mistakes of the past to slow you down.

7- Take Care of Your Body, Mind and Spirit: This one is maybe the most important and will allow you to move forward in life with vigor and vision. At the age of 54 this has become a daily routine for me. You do not have to be a gym rat, read 100 self help books or go to church 3 days a week. I am talking about small changes like walking, getting out from behind the desk, eating more veggies, eating less fatty foods, praying once per day and just spending time healing you everyday. No damage that has been done has to be permanent and you can do this. Lose a few pounds, go walking, stop at a park, travel, read, pray, hang with good people and other things you like to do and it will allow you to heal the past and move forward in all these areas.

God bless your journey as you chase your goals, dreams and visions. Work hard, work smart, live life, love life, be nice, be happy, be healthy and move forward from this day on!

Coach B!

Addiction- The Real Toll It Takes on the Family

This week I lost a family member to something that breaks millions of people and wrecks their lives. I am talking about addiction and they come in a variety of ways and means. Addiction to drugs takes over a persons body and eventually takes over their soul. Everything becomes about that high, that short term good feeling and each time a needle hits the arm or drugs are put into a mouth a little more of that persons fate is decided and life begins to be lost. Some may find this to be too much and that is OK. But for me I have to speak to the damage that drugs, street life and addiction does to a family and not just the person.

Drugs destroy families, destroy relationships and strips people of their potential to be great and do good things for people. Drug addiction is a path of destruction that hurts so many people and leaves a legacy of damage to the parents, siblings, and children of the end user. The children of those that die from drugs are the real victims here. The people that take drugs and die from that high chose to do so. They chose a path of destruction over their family and kids. They chose to do what they wanted to instead of doing what was right for their family. I may sound a vit angry in this and I am.

I have witnessed close family suffer emotionally and be scarred for life by the actions of a drug addict that refused over and over, many times over to stop what they were doing and get clean. Instead of surrounding themselves with supportive family and friends they chose drug culture and the so called easy way out. Well that culture ended up costing a life and costing the children of this person a lifetime of questions about “why” my parent chose dope over me.

Stop the madness, step away, get counseling, get a job, get a life, do whatever you can to stop addiction. If you don’t it will certainly cost you family, friends, jobs, life and eventually give you death. And your death leaves those behind wanting to see you, hear you, touch you and just be near you. God can cure addiction and you can also if you want it bad enough and decide enough is enough. To those that have beaten addiction, awesome and best wishes forward. To those that lost someone to addiction, I am sorry for your loss and feel your pain and frustration.

God Bless!

Politics: Shamed, Demeaned and Cancelled- Woke Cancel Culture

Todays writing may hit a few nerves so I give advance notice. If it turns you off or offends your feelings then please read another person postings. However, my hope would be that because we may disagree on this does not mean we have to quit following one another or reading each others work. I am writing this because I am tired of seeing my friends, family and co-workers that do not agree with liberalism, socialism, Democrats or woke culture get cancelled, called stupid and demeaned because they disagree or have a differing opinion of this new movement in America. We have this thing that the country was founded on called the Constitution and it guarantees certain rights under the law.

One of those rights is the first amendment otherwise know as 1A. That gives people the individual right to speak freely, freedom of the press, choose the religion of their choice, “peacefully” gather to protest and petition the government. If your not aware of it go to google and see what it is about. It seems that we have a new culture of people that are now dead set on infringing on this very right from what appears to be a lack of understanding of what it represents “individual right to speak freely” without being censored. I have a suspicion it is being taught to these people by liberal woke teachers and professors in schools. Once again, that is my opinion so that is what it is, an “opinion”.

We can prove that it is all over social media, television, internet sites and the left wing mass media groups. Some of the largest companies in the world are shutting free speech down, especially if it does not agree with their woke ness and views. Heck, this one may get shutdown, but that is OK because I have my rights and refuse to be told how to think, act, behave or get re-engineered to meet someone else’s standards. I will write about my beliefs, opinions, views based on my set of morals and how I think.

I exercise my right to free speech just as most people do on social media sometimes and I do not post things with intent to harm or offend anyone. I simply post things of interest to me that meet the values, beliefs and issues that are important to me as a man, husband, father, teacher, coach and Christian. What has spurred this posting today was a simple picture I posted about gas prices. It showed the price at $2.55 per gallon and I had recently bought gas at the same place a month ago in mid December for around $2.10 a gallon.

Instead of reading the posting and either liking it or stating some type of opinion, suddenly I was hit with replies that I am basically stupid, do not know what I am talking about and other comments. The intent was to show that my idea of progress is not paying .45 more cent per gallon at the pump. It suddenly turned into a posting with liberals posting fact checking, stats and columns from guess where, liberal media sites and outlets. I am an educated man with two Bachelor degrees (one in Business Management) and a Masters Degree with advanced education.

I am smart enough to think for myself, form an opinion and post it without being told by a woke person or liberal that I am stupid and my opinion does not count. Then it expanded into conservatives versus liberal, then it went into Trump versus Biden and what they did or did not do. All over a freaking picture of gas prices simply asking to “please explain how paying more for gas is progress”. I got replies about the Texas storm, renewable energy and other stats. What I wanted was explain to me how going backwards is progress.

(IMO) shutting down the pipeline is impacting gas prices and anyone who cannot see that well I won’t say what I am thinking because then I am part of the problem then. Think of it like this, you own an oil company and have an unlimited supply at minimum cost. The system works and everyone getting it from you is good and its easier on their pocket book. Why in the hell would you sell it to your neighbor, give him control over pricing so he can charge people whatever and think that is progress. Paying higher prices, taxes, costs, losing jobs, losing industry, and many other progressive views cannot be progress. Going backwards is not progress, hell it is actually going backwards.

Does a football running back take the ball and run the wrong way? Does a tractor trailer load heading west turn around and waste time driving East? Does a person wanting to lose weight instead purposely gain 10 pounds? These are silly but tell the story of who truly may not be as “woke” as they think they are. Personally I think as a country we need energy independence while working towards a better future with some green energy options.

The very same people stating I am stupid and do not understand get in their car everyday and drive to work using what “gas”. Gast that is made from oil. Oil that was coming from America and Canada mostly. Duh, dumbass and they want to tell me conservatives speak out of one side of their mouth. Yes, I was told I speak out of one side of my mouth during this posting. Honestly I speak what I consider to be the truth and it comes straight out with no BS, make you feel good sugar coating.

It then turned to Trump and Biden and who is the best and all that bull crap. If you like Biden, good for you and I hope it works out for us all. If you like Trump or King Kong it is your business, opinion and thought process. For the cancel culture folks, please explain to me how tearing up cities, destroying the past and rioting makes things better? Explain to me how a movement that claims to want equality is trampling on the very rights they claim to need. Explain to me how some people of all races, colors, creeds and religions make it in life while others don’t. Explain to me how me and other working class people owe anyone a damn thing.

I have been working over thirty five years and no one ever punched the clock for me and did my job, no one paid my car payment, college loan or mortgage. Why in the hell do we need to do that for basement dwelling college dropouts that will not work because they are “professional gamers”. I refuse to be cancelled, re-conditioned, changed, woke, harrassed or believe that anyone else’s thought process or opinion of me is valid if it involves hate, malice, anger or resentment. You see that is the root of the problem (IMO). The bible clearly states that these things are unGodly and create issues within us.

For the woke generation and cancel culture people reading this. Do your research, use your mind to think and form your opinions, values and beliefs on how you feel and not how others tell you to feel. Stand on your own, be an adult and respect others regardless of how they agree or disagree with you. I will end by saying I could have “cancelled” those people. I could have “erased” the posting. I could have fought back, sent hateful and resentful remarks.

Instead I just read what they had to say, absorbed it and was an adult about it. If I was to unfollow the people that disagreed with me I would then be part of the problem and not the solution. If I was to erase the posting to stop the banter back and forth, then I am giving into their demands and trying to erase or cancel the past.

I will post, read, react and exercise my rights as given to me by the Constitution of this great country. I will consider other views and opinions, but ultimately I will be guided by my belief systems, views and moral code. I refuse to be woke, cancel out the past and allow my country to go to hell in a hand basket by being told how to act, think, behave or believe. I am smart enough to do that for myself whether one agrees with me or not. That is all!

Coach B

Health: Physical, Mental and Spiritual Impact of Tragedy

Today I am writing a brief post about one of the hardest times in my life.  I was coaching at a local high school and halfway through the season our head coach and my good friend passed away suddenly and unexpected.  This was a huge loss for his family, students, athletes and the community as a whole.  I am going to go into all the details of what happened, but instead will talk about the loss of a dear friend and coach and how the coaching staff and team responded to that loss.  Losing important people in out lives is never easy and brings a rush of emotion that we deal with for sometimes months or even years.  I was the offensive coordinator at the time so when my friend passed I was asked to continue the season as the interim head coach.  I remember the conversation with the principal when he asked me to take things and finish the season.  

I gladly took the responsibility not because it was a chance to take the program over.  It was the right thing to do in honor of my friend, players, community and school.  I went home that day and just prayed and cried about it.  This was a really bad situation and I had to find a way to step up, hide my emotions and feelings and stand tall for my players.  I sat down and came up with a plan that I wanted to use to try to manage the coming weeks activity which included a memorial service, a funeral, practice. planning, teaching, counseling crying and overcoming the fact that I was not Coach C.  My goal never was to replace such a great man, it was simply to honor him.  I will leave the football story at that and move into the emotional, physical and spiritual impact that this loss and the events that followed took on my mental, physical and spiritual help.

As you can imagine, by the end of the week I was broken in all three areas.  I was wore out, tired, emotional, couldn’t sleep and many other things that were going on.  I was trying to manage life at home, life at work, coaching, grieving and supporting the players, coaches and staff.  When tragedy strikes we often are tasked with the responsibility of stepping up and leading through these tough times.  We do not expect it or ask for it and without warning bam, we are now sitting on the toughest situation of our lives.  I have always been a person to step out front when needed and do what I can in whatever capacity.  I willingly took the responsibility with a goal of just keeping things as normal as possible as we all worked to overcome the loss of our coach and friend.

1- It is in tragedy and strife that we become our strongest.  It takes courage, strength, internal fortitude and drive to keep going when things are really bad.

2- It is in tragedy and strife that we realize just how important people were to us when we tell them goodbye one final time.

3- It is in tragedy and strife that we learn to overcome the physical, mental and spiritual beating we take by just moving forward.

4- It is in tragedy and strife that we see how pushing emotions, grief, anger, and all the other emotions to the side can build us up, but also tear us down later on.

5- It is in tragedy that we honor those we love, help their family, our community and friends out who are in need.

6- It is in tragedy that we look to our faith in God, family, friends and community to make it, to deal with it and to adapt.  We seek counsel and grow in our faith in all things good through the bad.

We all face tragedy, especially the lose of loved ones in life.  We fight the emotional, physical and spiritual burdens brought on by that.  But we also step up, rise up, battle, fight and eventually overcome all of it and live with the precious memories of our dearly departed souls we miss everyday going forward.

Coach B 

Politics: Standing Strong and Upholding Your Values in Troubling Times

Today I am discussing the importance of standing strong to you values, morals and belief system during times of trouble, struggle and strife.  Unfortunately, we are living in a time of moral, political, faith based and other belief systems that have led to a division among friends, family and co-workers.  I have friends that have different values in all of these areas and still remain friends with them despite the differences of opinion.  We all grow up in different households, build different values and form our own opinions about faith, politics, life and all those other things we see and hear daily.  I have had some very interesting conversations lately with friends over the phone, online and other ways and it amazes me how some people think, have formed an opinion and just are dead set on that being the only way.

I have been told I am hard headed at times and I definitely have a certain opinion about things.  If you read my blog or follow me you may have figured out by now that I am all about faith, family, and friends.  I value those three things more importantly than anything else and those are the foundation which I have built my life upon.  I have began to back off the internet and posting my opinions on sites or forums because it seems like someone always is trying to tell you how to think, act, or believe. We suddenly live in a world where if you disagree with someone then you are wrong, bad, evil, a hypocrite, racist or all the other terms people now use to attack someone with a different opinion from their own.

I formed my value system and belief system from growing up, becoming an adult and living life which taught me what was important to me, my family and how I want to impact the community and live life. I am writing all this to say we as induvial must stand firm in our set of values, beliefs, faith and press forward against the opposition and backlash it may bring.  Take a stand for what you believe, stand firm in it and never ever let someone sway you against those values just to fit in or agree to make head way in life.  The moment we default on our own values and faith is the moment we give into the strife and become part of the problem.  

1- Determine your values and stand strong for them.  

– What is your core set of values

– What drives you daily in lives mission

– Will you stand form for how you think, what you value and accept different thought as opinion (that is all it is).

2- Refrain from telling others how they should think, belief, worship or if you agree or disagree with them.  

– It is your set of values and not theirs

– You cannot change people that do not want to change

– Respect the fact that we are all induvial and will think, act and behave differently

3- Say what you mean and mean what you say. 

– Do not fold, give in or change your values to fit in with groups, people, friends or organizations

– Be open, honest and frank in how you feel.  If people see you are passionate about it they will respect it regardless of agreement

– Stand your ground, hold strong and focus on “you”

4- Be willing to listen to others.

– Listening to them will not kill you

– It may give you an idea of what drives their thought process

– It is a good life skill that we all need in relationships

5- Standing firm shows integrity, discipline, courage, honor, self confidence and many other great traits people want to see in you.

I enjoy a good debate, reading and hearing other peoples opinions, values and what drives them.  But I refuse to give into things I disagree with whole heartedly that will shake my faith, family and friends foundation.  We all make small changes to how we live, think and act as we mature in life.  Bit stand strong, stand firm and never ever let someone else tell you how to think, act or behave. Its your life and you are the one that owns the consequences food or bad for your thoughts, values, actions and behaviors so live it, love it and learn from it.

God Bless!  

Parenting: Women Have Super Powers

Today I am writing about woman and their super powers.  I am writing this in honor of my wonderful talented and beautiful wife Cindy and daughters Taylor and Brooke.  Women are super at being assertive, empathetic, powerful, fabulous, beautiful, caring, loving, inspired, hard working, dedicated, disciplined, healing, forgiving, courageous, adaptable and so many other traits us men need in our lives.  I can only speak for myself when I say, I would be lost without my wife and daughters.  They are the rocks in my house and keep me from doing stupid guy stuff all the time.  

Women have super powers that are hard to explain at times.  These super powers come out at a moments notice and just amaze people.  I know my wife and daughters have them so I came up with a list of the different role model super women action figures to highlight just how great women can be and are in our lives.  Women are special, unique and should be treated as such.  I must admit that I am still learning about women and how to push the right buttons, say the right things and all that other stuff we get confused about guys.  So guys hang in there, try not to be so guy like and figure out the super powers the women in your life have.  

Wonder Woman- Strong, Mighty, and can get the truth out of you with her truth lasso.  Try to lie to a woman and you will be busted so fast.  They have the ability to get the truth out of you and figure things out.  They appear to be immortal and can live through the toughest of times and face down super villain’s in life.  

Cat Woman- Cunning and sly at times.  She is sneaky tough and can bring those claws out quickly when needed to defend herself or others.  She has nine lives and is a survivor.  She can bounce back so fast from injuries and falls.  Mess with a moms babies and the claws will come out and it is on. She is independent, strong willed and can appear out of nowhere suddenly.  

Black Widow- She is an overall badass butt kicker.  Smart, beautiful and a mastermind at manipulation when needed.  She takes charge when and is a leader at keeping the boys straight and on task.  She knows when to fight and when to back off but will handle her business with the best of them.  Much like my wife has to do with me!

Super Girl- Is an excellent person, she can balance the job and other family responsibilities.  She cares for her friends and gives up her time and energy for the betterment of society. She has super hearing and guys, we all know women have super hearing.  They can hear you say something under your breath from two rooms and 50 feet away.  She tries to stop bad people with kindness, but if tested can take you down fast.

Captain Marvel- Agile, fast, and a quick thinker that fights for justice and can sense danger way before it happens.  Moms are great at sensing danger, especially when it comes to their daughters or sons dating someone they don’t like.  

Jessica Jones- Excellent private eye that can get things done.  She does not play with people and is a hard charger.  She is results oriented and does not have time to play games with people.  She is a survivor of domestic abuse and is a spokesperson for domestic abuse and its plague in marriages and relationships.  She is an overcomer and a role model for those facing tough times.  

Harley Quinn- Tough, a bit on the wild side and will kick some butt real quick when it comes down to it.  She is a protector of the common person like a mom is and can also shift over to the bad side if needed.  Immune from toxins (like moms have to be when everyone in the family has the flu or is sick).  She tends to like bad boys (joker) and rocks those tats, crazy hair and makeup like no other.  I assume she was a good softball player, because she swings a mean bat.  

Elastic Girl- Flexible, adaptable, agile, smart and witty.  She can mold herself into many things, is extremely flexible and quick to solve problems.  She stands by her man Mr. Incredible and keeps him and his bumbling ways out of trouble lots of times.  She is a great mom that protects her kids, but allows them to grow and make mistakes.  

The Wasp- She is great with technology, super smart, and can punch your lights out real fast if you mess with her.  She is loyal, caring and beautiful.  A moral voice that can calm, sooth and lead people to better decisions and results. She can change sizes like a woman on a constant diet and is the daughter of a super smart dad and mom.  She loves her family and honors her parents legacy.  

Thunder- The ever so tough daughter of Black Lightning, she is a fierce fighter for what is right.  She will take a stand against tyranny and protect her family.  She is loyal and scarifies her body to protect her mom, dad and sister.  She is athletic and packs a strong punch so watch out guys.  She is a role model for taking a stand and being independent and strong in life.  Hard headed at times, she gets into trouble by not listening to her parents advice like she should.  

Bionic Woman- She may be my favorite of all time.  Some younger folks may not know who she is, but let me tell you she was not to be messed with.  She is super strong, a fighter that overcame major health issues and injuries.  She has super hearing, super strength and is gorgeous to top it off.  She worked hard, played hard and fought hard along side her love interest The Six Million Dollar man.  

Okoye-  A constant companion and protector of Black Panther.  Her super powers are intelligence, tactical thinking, strategy and toughness.  She is super loyal, kicks butt and never backs down when it comes to protecting her own.  She is different and that makes her unique and a super hero for women all over the world.  She rocks the uniform and that bald head look, proving that beauty is not only skin deep.

Black Canary- She is a great person, super sweet personality and mostly quiet. She has the ability to yell at people with super sonic levels. She can shatter your eardrums and you do not want to make her mad and feel her wrath.  Mess with her and you will feel her wrath and it is loud and constant.  

Storm- She is a queen, a fighter and not to be taken lightly.  She is a role model for diversity and young girls.  She rocks that X-Men suit nicely and can shoot use energy to mess you up.  She is a teacher, leader and protector of young people.  

Jean Grey- Smart, powerful and beautiful.  She is strong willed, sacrificial, super tough and very complex for guys to figure out (especially Wolverine).  Her mental powers are amazing and if tested she can do some pretty amazing stuff and overcome adversity with a fierce attitude.

She-Hulk- Is the ultimate expression of female power. She is a career minded super smart attorney that can turn into a hulking super queen that can mess you up fast.  She lives life to its fullest and has a great sense of humor (much like dead pool).  

Thank God for woman in our lives.  Gentleman lets honor, care for and treat our ladies as queens in our households.  Enjoy and share please!

Coach B

Americana: Polly and Beona- Two Peas in a Pod

Sisterly Love-
My mom and her older sister, my Aunt Beona were two of the most wonderful people one could ever know.  My family, immediate friends and so many others were touched by these ladies in so many ways.  Both of these wonderful ladies have went on to be with God and I know they are now watching over their kids, families and others.  They talked everyday on the phone, regardless of what happened or may have come up they spoke everyday.  My mom would call over and ask to speak to Beona and of course, my Uncle Robert would answer the phone and proceed to give her a hard time about calling and pick at her.  Mom loved to talk to Robert and looked forward to giving him a little of his quick wit right back to him on those phone calls. 

Robert didn’t hear very well so the television would be turned up to about maximum volume if you called or stopped by to visit with them.  You would have to knock on the door several times for him to hear you.  One thing is the door was cracked about two inches all day so you could come on in.  They loved each other and had grown up poor and were so appreciative of the things they had and the most important of those was family and the ties it binds between people.  They were sisters, buddies, friends and had a bond that was priceless.

My mom passed before my Aunt Beona and when Beona was close to passing, I went to visit her and we talked.  She was very weak and couldn’t say much but she did say that she couldn’t wait to see “her Polly” because they had so much to talk about when she got to heaven.  She took her last breath soon after that and I am 100% sure my mom was there to greet and escort her to God and heaven. 

 
Private Detectives- 
Mom and Beona knew everything about everyone.  If something was going on in the family, at church or locally they knew about it (maybe even before it happened) it seemed like.  They could snoop out things and you couldn’t get nothing by ether of them.  So people may call it nosey, but I call it being a good detective.  They enjoyed this as a past time and it gave them things to work on, talk about and figure out together.  They loved crime shows and watching Andy Griffin so that fits in well.  I had remember both telling me things and I would just wonder how did they know that and where did the information come from.  I sometimes wonder if they secret informants, but I figure a more practical solution would be that they were great listeners and cared so much for others that they wanted to know everything about you.  That is a good thing, knowing how your loved ones are doing and what you can do to help them.

Family-
Family was everything to these two beautiful and awesome souls.  They were leaders in their families and the glue that held everyone together.  They were so respected by the family and friends that all they had to do was ask you to do something and it was a done deal.  Family was their life, their kids, grandkids, cousins, brothers, sisters and all the other extended family members.  I will never remember my first year in college I brought home a buddy from my dorm that lived in Georgia and didn’t have a ride home so instead of leaving him there over the holidays I brought him home with me.  Randle was African American and grew up in a tough part of Atlanta as a child.  He came from a broken home and was very poor.

I am sure he was shocked the first time he met my family and seen how big it was and all the activity we did at Christmas.  I say this to give a memory that I have never forgotten since that cold wintery day in 1985 at my grandmothers house.  Randle walked in with me and immediately felt overwhelmed as he had never seen so many decorations, food, presents or people in one room.  My Aunt Beona called me and Randle over and she reached out to shake his hand and as he reached for her hand, being the hugger she was grabbed him and embraced him pulling him into her short but powerful body and said to him, “welcome to our Christmas, make yourself at home, your family now”.  

My friends all felt like family and hung out all the time at the house, it was a second home for them and my brothers friends as well.  My mom would cook pounds of food to feed all those hungry boys and take care of them.  To this day many of you reading this are “Family” and my mom and aunt loved having you around all those years.

Friends- 
The relationship they had was so special and could not be broken by anything.  They had a bond that was so strong and a great example of what sisterly love and friendship should represent.  It was a Christlike love for friends that made so many people want to be around them.  I know we all have had that friend that you could always count on for anything at anytime.  That was my mom and aunt Beona.  They modeled near perfection for their siblings, families and friends and that made a huge impact on everyone that knew them.  I strive to have that type of friendship with family and friends based on the example they gave me.  If I could make it happen I would put them on the internet so when people look for a definition of friends, they would see my mom and aunt in a picture.  

Church- 
We went to church every Sunday.  You got your tail up and went to church, no excuses unless you were on your death bed.  Church was huge in the family and I want to clarify something because anyone can just go to church.  These two ladies loved church because they loved God and knew the impact going to hear his word and learning about Jesus had on a good life.  They were Sunday school church teachers, worked in the nursery and cooked food for the congregation after church on many Sundays.  They set an example of discipline and dedication to a greater cause and how having a relationship with Jesus is important in life and after life.  I have so many memories of church with these two and how they just loved it.  It was part of their life, soul and expectations for their children. 

Shopping- 
I could tell so many stories about shopping.  These two could find a discount anywhere at every store in town.  If you needed something, all you had to do was tell one of them and they would find it at the store on sale.  They started Christmas shopping the day after Christmas and would stock pile gifts, presents and stuff all year in anticipation of the next years celebration.  Often times, they bought so much that they would forget who it was for and where they hid it. 

When my mom passed away in 2017 we found things she had bought that still had the labels and tags on them.  Brand new in the box ready to give to someone.  They loved to go shopping with my Aunt Cynthia also, those three were so close and loved to spend time together.  Cynthia was younger than the two of them so they relied on her a lot also and mom would always call me and tell her Beona and Cynthia were going shopping and you could hear the excitement in her words.  

Christmas- 
These two ladies loved some Christmas time and I think it was there favorite Holiday overall.  It was when they had all their children, grandchildren and great grands over to celebrate Jesus and his blessing in our lives. I talked about shopping a bit already but these two would start buying presents in January for the next Christmas.  They would have stuff stashed all over the place on closets, under the bed and everywhere else they could hide it.  Everyone got a present or card from them and all were handwritten with a special note of quotes or sayings that warmed your heart. 

You could bet your check that underwear, socks and t-shirts were going to be in a bag somewhere waiting for you.  Believe me, you would never run out of those three things as long as these two were buying for you.  We would go to moms for Christmas and it took three or four of us to bring all the presents out of the back bedroom since the tree space couldn’t hold all of them.  
I would get a call from Beona asking me to come by and get all the gifts for the family a few days before the Holiday and we would sit and visit, talk to her and uncle Robert and then load all those up and haul them over to moms house.  Christmas was special because of them and still is to this day.  

Family Reunions- 
Mom and Beona loved family time.  Especially, family reunions and Sundays at Grandma Smiths house.  We had more family celebrations over the years than I can count or remember.  We had the Smith Family reunion, birthday parties, summer pool parties, fall parties, Christmas parties, Halloween parties and so many more.  The family was our extended family and that was literally hundreds of people at church meeting, socializing and making memories’.  Manu of those flooding my mind as I write this story and hold back the emotions of missing both of them daily.  

Dynamite Comes in Small Packages-
These two were little short firecrackers that loved their family and friends.  You wouldn’t know that they were tough unless you just knew them.  They had a work ethic that was unbelievable, were full of energy and honestly were just tough little ladies.  You mess with one and you get the other is the best way to describe it.  You mess with their kids (when I say kids) I mean their own, their nieces, nephews, grands, and all the others they considered their kids and you better watch out.  My middle brother tells a story of onetime and my Aunt Beona were at a stoplight and the light changed and jerk behind them, blew the horn impatiently at her.  Well, they just happened to be returning from a ballgame and my brother had a ball bat in the car.  
Lets just say this jerk blowing the horn, lite the little firecracker named Beona so she proceeded to grab the ball bat and she was going to whoop his @## is the best way to put it.  My brother calmed her down and the guy surely understanding you don’t mess with Beona pulled on around and hauled it out of there.  Both had a passion for life, family, friends and God like that.  They were fighters and what is funny is they both loved fireworks and watching them be shot off so that kind of makes sense.  

Love, Grace, Kindness,  and Mercy-
These two were (peas in a pod) and were so much alike that it was obvious they were sisters.  They loved their families like no other person could.  They showed grace, mercy, kindness and mercy that they learned from my grandparents Percy and Lucille Smith.  They were shining examples of how humanity can be special and were great at making relationships with people.  I sincerely appreciate all the advise they gave me, how they challenged me at times and held me to a high standard of conduct as a child.  They showed love, grace, kindness, and mercy all the time to anyone whether they knew them or not.  That is example of how we all need to be for one another in this world.  They prayed and thought about other constantly and I felt those prayers.  

I write this today in honor of my Mom Polly Bowers and my Aunt Beona “Smith” England.  They are missed so much everyday and still have a huge impact on lives in heaven.  I love you two and miss you dearly, but am glad God had you now, you are healthy, happy and safe!
God Bless! KB

Football: The Final Drive

Below is a peak at the final chapter of my book about Football, Faith and Family. This is some of the last chapter that discusses the close to my career as a football coach. Enjoy and please go take a look on amazon or kindle it you want to see the other twenty four chapters.

Chapter Twenty Five- The Final Drive

My coaching career all started with an severe playing injury that I thought was the end of the world. I had lost the one thing I held near and dear to my heart. The game that I had worked so hard to be the best I could was done. No more helmets, no more hits, no more pre-game national anthems. However, in reality it was the beginning of something even bigger and many more Thursday and Friday night national anthems. I started coaching as a college volunteer assistant line coach in 1989 and ended my career as a high school coach on a cold Friday night over 25 years later in 2019.  Through the process it was rewarding, fun, challenging, frustrating, hard, never easy and so many other words I could write. 

After that last game I knew it was time to go, time for another generation of coaches that I had been part of mentoring to take over and run with it. It was time to seek other opportunity. That last loss hurt me more watching the seniors cry about losing and playing their last game as a player than the sting of taking a loss as a coach. I may step back out there one day, but it will be on my terms.  My family spent many years on Friday nights sitting in the bleachers watching me coach, watching the boys play and waited at home for me until 8-9 o’clock every night to get home from practice and 1:00-2:00am on Friday nights.  

I had lived my dream as a player and coach and it was time to walk away and spend time with my family.  I loved the game and it had loved me back.  It had given to me ten fold, what I had given it. I am grateful for the opportunity it provided me as a player, coach and fan.  But I am even more grateful for all the Godly men that coached and mentored me through the years.  My teammates, players and peers are what made the game special.  God is the one that made it all happen, he put me where I needed to be in my career and I tried to always honor him in everything I did.  There were ups and downs along the way, but it was exciting as each season came and went.

I am sure I failed at times, but it was all in an effort to be the best person I could be.  I prayed daily to the Lord to guide me, lead me, mentor me and give me grace beyond all understanding.  For my coaching friends, never forget where you came from and how you got where you’re going.  Winning is great, but making sure our young men and women know how to win in life, battle through tough times and push onward towards goals is our main purpose.  As my dad once said, “find something you love, do it with passion and purpose” and all the other stuff will take care of itself.

I want to thank my wife, daughters, family and friends for always being there and supporting my football playing and coaching career.  I want to thank my brothers and cousins for whooping on me and breeding the passion for the game in me on those Sunday afternoons at Grandma Smith’s house.  Those hard hits, tackles, bruises and breaks gave me the foundation to play the game and later coach it.  I love you and look forward to the many years of family time, travel and relaxation.  

Lastly, I thank God for his grace, guidance, mercy and forgiveness.  Without his eternal heavenly love I would not have made it through any of the situations life as a coach, teacher, parent and husband presented me.

The End or is just the Beginning!  Time will Tell, Only God and I know!

Coach B