Category: talent

Football Time Again

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After two years away from coaching football. I have accepted the role of Head Football coach at Thomasville Middle School. I am excited to get back into the sport as a head coach on my terms. I stood on the sidelines in 2019 after a tough playoff loss as an assistant at Thomasvile High School and decided it was time to step away for a while to see where things were going. I had been a community coach. college coach, Varsity assistant, JV Head Coach, Interim Varsity Head coach (2X) and coordinator during my football coaching career. I had a goal from the time I was in high school to become a high school head football coach but the cards never seemed to fall in the right place at the right time.

I had come to a point where the game I had played or coached since I was seven years old was no longer exciting and felt like the career had come to a close on the sidelines. I had a bad back, bad knees, was overweight and was just tired. I had coached 2-3 sports (football, wrestling and softball) a year for ten plus and was just wore out physically and mentally. I needed to get healthy, be with my family and just relax. I needed time to heal and grow as a person, husband, father, teacher and mentor. I needed me time and have enjoyed the last two years more relaxed with no seven day a week football work schedules, Sunday afternoon film sessions and an additional 30-40 hours a week of practice and game time.

I know that God is good and he leads us in the direction we need to go in life. We follow his lead by following our heart and his word.. After much thought, prayer and my family’s blessing it is time to put some more energy and time into the the game that has given so much to me and my family. To achieve our goals in life we must put time, energy, patience and hard work into it. To make it to our final goal we have to be willing to put in the work and build ourselves up in preparation for that.

I want to Thank my wife Cindy for her blessing to get back into the sport I have loved for so long. God is leading me where I need to go and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to coach again and being sought after feels really good. It will be an honor to coach football again. I cannot wait to hear the national anthem just before the game. Watch the boys run on and off the field, compete, work hard and see what happens on game day. Look into the bleachers and see my family sitting there rooting the team on. Those are the things that make the game so special. It is football time once again for me and step in the direction I always wanted to go.

Coach B

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Life Hacks 101- 10 Things Coaches, Managers and Go Getters Look For

Today we are talking about traits that coaches value and look for in their student athletes that cost nothing but time, energy and work ethic.  These traits also are what business owners, companies, managers, leaders and other people looking for talent expect. These traits set you apart from others and can make you a great player, worker, leader, parent, teacher, business owner and whatever it is you want to be.  If I can get my athletes to learn these by my actions, behaviors and results then as a coach I have accomplished my goals and the rest will take care of itself.  

1- Time management skills- Are you on time, are you early for class, practice, work and ready to go when the bell, alarm or clock strikes and its go time.

2- Great work ethic- Do you exhibit a work ethic that people cannot deny and one that shows you are a true go getter.

3- Positive energy- Are you a positive person that exudes positive traits and thoughts. Do people want to be around you and grow with you.

4- Positive attitude- Do you see the glass half full or half empty.  Does your attitude reflect goodness, kindness, love and respect for others.

5- Being prepared- Are you prepped and ready for completing tasks, work assignments, school work and other demands life throws at you.  Do you do what it takes to be ready to roll, ready to work and ready to win.

6- Passion- Are you passionate about your family, friends, job, sport or life.  Passion can override talent and lots of other traits many times.  Give me  passionate learner and I will take that over talent any day of the week.

7- Discipline- Do you show discipline in your actions, behaviors and life.  Do you have what it takes to be disciplined to work out, lift weights, run, manage your weight and help the team out.  Are you disciplined to get out of bed and get to work and produce for your family and to meet your goals.

8- Communication skills- Can you openly communicate with people in a positive and meaningful way.  Can you talk business like and not use slang and street terms in conversations.  Are you a good listener and have positive skills people see when you communicate with them.  Do you sound educated (I am not talking college educated).  

9- Good body language- Do you carry yourself in a positive manner.  Do you sit upright, keep good eye contact and other positive body language.  Do you know how to present yourself, shake hands and make people feel relaxed around you.  Are you too chilled at times and can you turn it on and off as needed.

10- Coachable- Lastly and most important to me.  Are you coachable, teachable, and able to be mentored. Can you accept feedback and loss with dignity and respect.  Are you part of the solution or part of the problem.  Do you take advice from someone much older, more knowledgeable and experienced and apply it to become better.  Or are you a hotshot know it all that will eventually fail because you know more about a 30 year veteran coach about your position or saw it on a video game.  (believe me folks, this is a reality nowadays)!

There are other things you could put on this list.  But these are the things that cost you nothing but time, energy and work ethic.  These are the basic skills needed in sports, work, life and play that can make you successful whether you are a backup, first string star or do a common job.  These skills will make you stand out in the crowd, rise above others and set you on a path that others envy and want to be on.  They may not admit it, but ultimately they see your success and skill set and desire to be like you.

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.

Health: 10 Things To Do At Home To Have Fun and Relax

Today we are talking about things to do at home to chill, relax and enjoy family time. At the end of a long work week or day we often need to just chill out, rest and relax. Finding things that make your life more relaxing and fun is important to good mental, physical and spiritual health. Below are 10 things you can do at home to meet these needs and just chill.

1- Take a nap

2- Binge watch your favorite TV Shows

3- Watch an old movie or two you have never seen.

4- Ride four wheelers

5- Sit outside by a fire and make smores.

6- Play board or card games with the family.

7- Take a nice walk into the woods near your house and see what you can discover.

8- Dress up in your favorite outfits and go outside and take some new family pictures.

9- Fire up the grill and cook some good food and eat outside under the moon light.

10- Spend the night camping in the back yard telling ghost stories with the family.

I could go on and on with things to do to relax. Find what does it for you and go have some nice family time chilling, eating, relaxing and just being you.

Coach B!

Coaching: Five Ways to Identify A Quitter

Quitting in life is a habit that people learn from an early age. As they get older and grow up they learn that it is OK to quit sports teams, school, jobs and on family. There are signs that will give you an idea that someone is about to quit on you, your company, your relationship, your family, their kids, their job and life. I talk to my students about this a personal dilemma they may face in life. As a wrestling coach I see it every year. Kids quit mostly because wrestling is hard, practice is tough and it requires a winning attitude to face down all the potential serbacks it offers. I had a kid quit this week after a few minutes. He asked me to join the team so I let him come out. We warmed up doing some tumbling and exercises and within 20 minutes he asked to go to the bathroom and never came back.

I saw him today and asked him what happened and instead of just telling me it was hard or he didn’t like it he gave me a bunch of excuses about he had to go home, his mom called, etc. I asked him to come back and well, he must have forgot because I have not seen him since. I know why he quit because it is hard. Wrestling is a very mentally and physically challenging sport. It was hard so he walked away. He gave up on it. He quit without a good effort. He gave into his self doubt. He was lazy and wasn’t used to the effort required. I am not sure which one of these is the real answer but I do know that this kid has quit more than one sport, quit on clubs and other groups at school. He has learned a behavior and built a habit that it is OK to just walk away.

There is a likely hood that when he becomes an adult he will quit on jobs, family, friends, and give in when life gets tough. Quitting on life blocks people from being there best. They think it is the easy way out, but reality is it just makes things worse. Quitters show signs and could see them in this kid as he was stopping during team activity, wanting to go get extra water, sitting around while the others were standing up. I saw the signs but still tried to save him. I wanted him to stay, overcome and be a better person and athlete. But he choose to quit, walk away and give in. Below are some signs that someone may be getting ready to quit on you.

1- They stop working hard or hardly give an effort.

2- They quit attending functions, events, meetings and required activity.

3- They have a change of attitude about work, life and play.

4- They want it easy and desire instant gratification.

5- They show weakness physically, mentally and spiritually.

My dad always told me that winners never quit and quitters never win. That still stands for me today and I hope more of the younger parents begin to teach their kids to stick with things. Give things a fighting effort. Work hard and work smart for what you desire. Not just give up, quit, walk away, shut down, run from problems and be a quitter.

Coach B

Health: 10 Ways To Improve Your Physical and Mental Health

Today we are looking at ten ways you can improve your physical and mental health. I have been a on reboot of sorts the last several months due to some major health issues and two close calls with death. I actually did many of these during my adult life but had let some things skip and after a heart issue and nearly checking out with Covid I have put much thought into my emotional, physical and spiritual well being going forward. I have as I stated rebooted my systems, hit the reset button and am pushing forward with life to accomplish my goals and dreams. I had to ask myself “why” am I where I am at and “why” should I make the needed changes to get to where I wanted to be. My “why” is that I want to enjoy my retirement years coming up sooner than later. I want to be healthy of mind, body and soul. I want to have the energy to live my best life. That is my “why”. Check out these simple changes or things to do to live your best physical and mental healthy life and give them a try. Then write down your “why” and find a way to make it happen.

1- Eat healthier foods. It is OK to splurge on occasion but unhealthy eating habits will eventually take a toll on your health. If it taste really good, chances are it is not so good for you. Make small changes to your diet and watch your energy levels and overall health improve.

2- Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs. Do you but be careful as to how much you consume. I never was a big drinker and have not once put a drug into my body. But that is me and as I said do you but do it with caution and an end goal in mind of enjoying it and not using it as a tool to cope or just feel high. Best scenario is just not doing it at all.

3- Stop smoking, vaping and chewing tobacco. These things are very dangerous for the body, have chemicals in them that are addictive and will eventually take a toll on your health. Relying on them to relieve stress and anxiety will not fix your emotional stability.

4- Manage stress- Keeping a check on your stress levels is important. Stress takes its toll on you physically, emotionally and spiritually in life. Mange it the best you can without turning to drugs, alcohol. addictive’s substances and bad decisions. Find a way to get rid of it by walking, hiking, sleeping, running, listening to music, traveling, etc. When you are stressed those around you know it and feel it also.

5- Activity and Exercise. Be an active person and find ways to use energy to create energy. Walking is a great way to do that. You do not have to be a gym rat or the most fit person. Get a bike and take bike rides around the neighborhood. Go to a park and take a mile or two walk. Go to the gym and go hard. Do something active and watch how good it makes you feel.

6- Do something you enjoy. What are the things you enjoy doing outside of family, friends and work. Find a hobby that relaxes you and allows you to just chill and be you. Solve puzzles, draw, write, cross stitch, build things, work in the shop, work outside, have a garden, hang with friends, go shopping. Find your “why” and go do it.

7- Connect with family and friends. Do not get caught up in the day to day busy lifestyle that leads to boredom and the same old thing. Yes we have to go work, go to the store, clean the house and all the other responsibilities. But finding time to text, talk, hang out with or just visit with neighbors is important. Having a solid inner circle of people around will help you be more emotionally and physically safe and stable.

8-Volunteer/Serve Others- Find a local charity, church, community out reach program to get involved in. Helping others will help you. It fits the bill for many of the thing listed above. Being active, giving, living a healthy life and doing something you enjoy. Serve food a a food bank. Serve on a church council. Raise money for a good cause. Coach a ,little league team. Use your talents and skills to serve others and the payback is much more than any paycheck can offer you.

9- Ask for help. Do not be afraid to ask for help from your loved ones, friends, family and mentors. Those people have resources, experience and background to help you. It might be just to talk to someone. It might be to reach out to a friend that you highly trust. Ask for help, do not try to do it on your own.

10- Pray, Pray and Pray. Connect with God on a daily basis. Seek his guidance, grace, mercy and leadership in your life. If another entity is your thing, then seek it and do it wholeheartedly. Enhancing your spiritual life enhances all the other parts of it.

Find your “why” and go after it. Make small changes and live your best life!

Coach B!

Writing: Reasons To Write A Book/Blog

Let me begin by stating that if the #1 intention of writing a book or blog is to make a bunch of money then you might want to check yourself. I am not saying it cannot happen, but if you go into it with the goal of making $ then you might be off track from the get go. I know some very qualified and experienced writers/bloggers that write and never make a dime. There are literally millions of books and thousands of blogs on the internet to read. I write my blog and have wrote two short books because I like to write, share life stories and motivate others to become more than who they are. Along the way, if I gather a small or large following and sell a few books then great. If not, then I will still sit down, seek inspiration and write daily. Writing is my therapy and something that allows me to bring back old memories, good times and get inspired for life.

So know you know my reason for writing a blog which again is to share, motivate, inspire and offer general guidance to people that like to read what I write. Writing and blogging takes practice and just as I have done for over 20 years in the coaching and educational industry I blog daily to get better. Practice may never make you perfect, but it can make you much better than you were yesterday. I write things down to seek inspiration and guidance. Today for example, my wife and I were cleaning out our garage and I found a box full of old GI Joes, Hot Wheels, Match Box Cars, plastic soldiers, and other things I collected and played with as a child in the late 60’s and 70’s. That inspired me to write about those memories, toys and growing up in the 70’s and 80’s.

Enough of my blabber about why I blog and my inspiration. Now I will give some sound, basic reasons why you should tell your story by writing a book or blog.

1- Everyone has a story to tell. We all have a story to tell and it will help others to read it. \

2- Writing is therapy for the mind, body and soul. Writing clears the mind and allows you to just sit down, relax and put your thoughts on paper.

3- Writing can be a part time or fulltime gig. You may make money and you may not. Either way it can be developed and with the right connections, focus and a bit of luck you can hit it big.

4- Writing a blog forces you to confront your past and think about your future. Writing your story and putting it all out there helps you heal.

5- Writing is challenging and fun. I love to write and never will claim to be a great writer. I am beginning to build a decent following, but as stated above if I was after money I would open a business and dedicate the time I put into writing into that instead.

6- You are an expert at something. I know people that are experts at teaching, coaching, mentoring, preaching, making things, cooking, business ownership, being a mom and so many other things. Use that platform to reach people and give them advice and knowledge.

7- Writing and blogging is part of life long education. You do not have to be a professor of English Literature to be a writer.

8- You can tackle new challenges, conduct research and write about human interest things. People love a good story so tell them a story (hopefully true stories).

9- You discover hidden talent and grow as a person.

10- Writing develops people skills, communication skills, thinking skills, soft skills and many other qualities we need in life.

Grab a pen and paper or your laptop and start jotting thoughts and ideas down. Next thing you know, your a blogger/writer and will see people reacting to your thoughts, ideas, advice and life story. Happy Writing!

Coach B

Sports: Five Stitches and a County Title- Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win

Five Stitches and a County Title- Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win

When I was fourteen years old I had a ball game on a Saturday afternoon and it was a huge game.  I grew up playing football, basketball and baseball and after advancing into pony league ball I was a pitcher for the local school team.  Back in the day everyone played for their local elementary school distinct teams regardless of age.  Most started playing coach pitch, then moved to pee wee.  Next came a little league where the competition started getting better.  Then came pony league and at the time that was the oldest ages in my county about 12-14 years old.  I loved playing baseball and was a big kid so I learned to pitch the ball when I was little so I could use my size to an advantage.  

By the time I reached pony league I was 14 years old in the 8th grade and stood 6’0 and weighed 190 pounds,  Back in the late 1970’s that was a big kid for the age.  Now kids are like 6’2 240 at that age and many claim it is hormones in the hamburgers.  I just think kids just have gotten bigger over time as advances have been made in sports training, foods, and eating habits.  Anyways here I am on the big day.  A day I had worked for since I was seven years old.  I was the number one pitcher on the team, I was the ace on the mound and had a great season going.  Well, the morning of the county championship game I was in the dirt road playing with some friends and as I rode down the road on my bike a local dog ran under my wheel throwing me off the bike over the handlebars.

If you have ever experienced that you will know that crushed granite rocks on a dirt gravel road are not very forgiving with the skin.  The skin loses that fight and my hands, elbows and face got all scratched up.  I got up and went into the house to show my dad waiting on him to get me for being stupid on a game day and not relaxing like I should have.  Mom checked me over and my left (glove) hand had a big cut.  A cut under my thumb that would require stitches.  The game was at 5:00pm across the county and it was like 2:30pm.  Mom took me to the doctors office and they put five stitches in my glove hand, cleaned the wound and sent me home.  I was mad because the doctor said not to play that day because I would tear the stitches out and get an infection.

Well, we went home dressed and all the time my dad was very quiet and not saying much,  I could tell he was concerned about my hand, but also the team as I was the number one pitcher.  I was 8-0 that season in games and was scheduled to face the best team we would see all season in that championship game.  They had a pitcher that was really good also and he could really throw the ball hard for a 13 year old 7th grader.  He was tall and lanky and could bring the heat with an occasional breaking ball.  I was a fire baller.  I threw heat and tried to move the ball around and had no off speed pitch.  

We load up, get dressed and drive across the county 30 minutes to the game site.  Back then we had home phones so none of the boys or parents knew I was hurt until we pulled in and got out and here I am standing there with a wrapped up hand.  I instantly saw the stress on my teammates’ faces and tried to field their barrage of questions as to what happened, could I play, who was going to pitch for us.  My dad and a family friend named Leon were the coaches so they started warming up my friend Chris and he was a pretty good pitcher also.  He wasn’t very fast but threw strikes.  Chris warmed up and I begged him to let me play.  She told me the doctor said no game today.  

As fate would have it I was standing there beside the other pitcher talking to him and our catcher threw the ball back a little wildly and it came right at me. Out of instinct I reached out and snagged the ball with my glove and in the process the stitches out of my hand.  And it didn’t hurt too bad (well honestly it hurt bad) but I wasn’t going to tell.  I proceeded to warm up and get ready for the game.  My friend got real nervous and started the game and after a few batters was in trouble.  All I could do was stand and watch in the dugout with my torn stitches and open cut.  Chris ended up having to come out and we were in a bind with nobody better than him. I told my dad to let me throw.  If I hurt bad enough I would walk away, hand him the ball and we could go with put #3.  

I walked to the mound, threw a few warmup pitches and the catcher threw the ball back to me very easy each time.  The umpire called the game back into action and here I am on the mound 8-0 with no outs and bases loaded.  I had a torn hand, busted stitches and was hurting real bad.  I looked at my glove and many years earlier my dad had written this in the glove.  “Winners never quit and quitters never win”..  It hit me that I had to do this, I had to take one for the team,  I had to survive and try to help us win.  I went on to pitch the best game of the season.  Struck out three straight batters to end the first inning and avoid any runs crossing the plate.  I finished the game with ten strikeouts and no hits allowed with one walk.  

We dominated the game and won 16-0 in five innings of play called due to the lead being more than 10 runs after five innings.  My teammates did a great job making a few key outs when the ball was hit by the opposing team and we smashed the ball at the plate for 16 runs.  I was the #4 hitter in the lineup (cleanup hitter).  I didn’t bat until the 4th inning as a teammate pinch hit for me.  I went to the plate with my old wooden monster named bomber.  Tom, the opposing pitcher, had gotten tired and walked the bases full.  Well, he hung one of his curveballs over the plate and I got it all.  Old bomber sent it over the left field fence for a grand slam which made the score 10-0 and blew it wide open for the win.  This story is not about how great a pitcher or hitter I was.  It is about the power of positive thinking, working hard and pushing through life events that can get in the way.  Winners never quit and quitters never win!

Coach B!

Advice: Life Skills That Prepare Kids for Real Life

I have been teaching for a long time and one thing I have observed more lately than in the past is that teenagers are not learning life skills that they will need as an adult. These life skills are needed so they can function and be productive as they get out of school and pursue their dreams and goals. Lots of people joke about it, but you would be surprised at the amount of kids that do not know how to do many of the things listed below. For those that teach your kids these life skills. Good for you and congratulations on teaching them how to be responsible, accept accountability in life and grow their life skills. Below are things my mom and dad taught me growing up and these skills are still needed for our current kids and teenagers.

As they get older, give them more and more responsibility and teach them how being accountable is important in life. You will not always be there, be around or be able to do it for them. Help them grow up knowing basic life skills needed for a successful life. These activities build confidence and grow their level of success by having transferrable life skills for the 21st Century.

1- Teach them how to cook. When I went to college and moved out I could cook more than Mac and Cheese or Ramen Noodles. Cooking requires the use of memory, measuring and other life skills. It teaches them to adapt, make changes and fix things as they go.

2- Teach them to do their own laundry. I know moms hate to do all that laundry (until their kid goes off to college). Teach them to do laundry, to fold and sort laundry. Teach them to take care of their clothes because they are expensive.

3- Teach your children and teenagers to be fiscally responsible with money. They need to learn to save money, learn about spending habits, how to manage credit and other financial matters. Worst thing a young adult can do is go into the world and not manage money smartly. Teaching them now will help them to be more financially sound as adults.

4- Teach them how to type on a computer, laptop and write a letter. They need to know the difference in text talk and actually professional talk required to complete a resume for jobs and careers. LOL, IDK, Yo and all that other text talk does not cut it on the job or on an application.

5- Teach them how to be active and healthy. Being healthy is important and is part of an active lifestyle that will allow them to have the energy and wellness to be successful in life. They do not have to be a gym rat or real fit. Just have good exercise patterns and activity in life.

6- Teach them the value of hard physical labor. Get them off the video games, off the couch and into the yard to cut some wood. Cleanup the yard, mow, pick up trash, trim the bushes and other things that will teach them that hard physical labor and the ability to use tools is a good thing. Many young people can make a great living with tools, trades and good labor skills.

7-Teach them accountability. Your kids must learn to be held accountable in life for their thoughts, actions, comments, reactions and behaviors. Not teaching them discipline and accountability will disable them later in life. Enable them by making sure they understand every action good or bad has a life consequence.

8- Teach them to dress correctly. There is a time and place or flip flops, chill clothes and shades. There is also a time for dressing to the occasion, having clean and neat clothes on. Like going to get a job, an interview and going to church.

9- Teach them how to do basic repairs and maintain a car. Teenagers need to know how to change a tire. How to fix a lose screw. How to use a drill, a hammer, drive nails, build things and tear things down. This can spur an interest in a career and save them lots of money as adults when they need to do basic repairs at home.

10- Teach them good time management skills. Do not be that parent that is always late and getting your kids to school right when the bell rings. Get them out of bed early, get them off to school, sporting events, practice. dance class and all that other stuff on time. Teach them to be early 15 minutes so they do not build a habit of being late for school, work, and appointments.

11- Teach them how to clean. Cleanliness is important and a life skill they will need when they have an apartment, condo or home, Untidy and unclean homes breed disease and laziness. Make them do the dishes, clean their room, wash clothes, mow yards, and other stuff adults assume they cannot do. If they do not do their chores then discipline them.

12- Teach them to do volunteer work. Work with them to develop the skills to help others, serve the community and other people. Serving and helping others is becoming a lost skill and one that everyone needs at times. This teaches them to put other above themselves and will humble them to see that others have it worse than they do.

13- Teach them manners and respect. Teach your kids to be nice, thankful, gracious, kind hearted and positive. Teach them to say yes sir, yes mam, no mam, no sir, please and thank you. These words will get them respect, impress people and help them find and keep a job. Nobody likes a disrespectful little brat!

14- Teach them the value of family and friends. Kids need to know that family and friends are the number one source of help, support, and well being. We all need some type of family “blood kin or otherwise” to help guide us and take care of our emotional needs.

15- Lastly, teach your kids that setting goals, working hard, acting in a positive manner, being nice, being helpful, being a go getter and other life skills is needed for them to be successful at whatever they want or desire. Nobody owes your kids anything in life so make sure they are equipped with the life skills to pull it off and pursue their dreams and goals.

Your kids, teenagers, sons, daughters, siblings, cousins, friends and family will likely exhibit the behaviors that you model for them. What is allowed will persist is an old saying a great coach and mentor once told me. What he was saying to me as a young coach and teacher was “Coach, if you let them do what they want, do not teach them about accountability then you are modeling bad behavior, ideals, actions, thoughts and speech”. They in turn will act the same way and fail at life until they figure it out, hopefully not before it is too late.

Blessings on a skilled and wonderful life for your kiddos!

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: Lack of Motivation

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We all know a few people that just lack motivation in life. Motivation to get out of bed, work, take care of obligations, care for others, take care of the family and generally just be a lump of coal in society. What drives a person to become that unmotivated about living life is the big question? How do we lose our motivation to become what we can and to overcome life’s hurdles and obstacles. How do we find ourselves unmotivated to be a good father, mother, friend, worker or person. In reading up on it and reading some Bible verses today I found a few things that hit home and I can see some of these things in people I encounter, work with, know or coach.

Not having motivation is having no plan. It is a direct correlation to a lack of success in life. That lack of success breeds issues, laziness, self doubt and many other inner conditions humans face. First I will address some common causes of lack of motivation and what may cause it in people.

1- They have emotional baggage holding them back.

2- They are not goal oriented people.

3- They play the blame game.

4- They want things done for them (welcome to the new world).

5- They make excuses for their lack of motivation. (sick, tired, unhealthy, not popular, not smart, people do not like them, blah, blah, blah).

6- They have suffered some significant setbacks and just gave up on life.

There are many other things that describe what may have happened to a person that shows a lack of motivation. Now lets talk about how they can come out of this “motivational funk” and move forward in life, work, family and play.

1- Get off your butt and do something.

2- Quit blaming others and point the finger at yourself.

3- Get over yourself (pity party) and take action to change your life.

4- Set goals, think about your dreams and visions and apply yourself daily.

5- Look at setbacks, pitfalls, disappointments and other unwanted life events as opportunity.

6- Change your routine, start the day earlier, drop bad habits, sleep more, eat better.

Lastly, to overcome a lack of motivation no one can do it for you. I can write down 10,000 ways to beat a lack of motivation, but you have to be the one to do it. No one owes you anything in life. Quit being a victim and start being productive. Quit expecting a handout and get a job. Stop blaming mom, dad, family, mistakes, the police, the neighbor, the person that looks different from you and look in the mirror. Attack your day with vigor, pride and work hard. Hard work can beat anything life throws at you!

Proverbs 14:23; In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

1st Corinthians 15:58; Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Coach B!

Daily Bread: Six Traits You Can Share With God

God has so many positive traits and my guess is they are almost countless. Today as I was praying and reading it hit me that as humans we have the potential to be more like our creator and savior. God has shown us through the creation of mankind and his constant gifts, care and patience the way to live a better life. As I read the bible today I wrote down some traits that we can develop or better develop on a daily basis that would allow people to see God in us. We can be a light to the world or a shadow in the darkness. I chose to be a light and will seek to find ways to be more like my creator in how I pursue relationships at home, at work, in the community and in the nation.

There are many misguided folks in our world. People that have lost their way and are struggling to find the light and get back. We as believers are obligated and called to witness God’s light to the world and change it one moment, one minute, one hour, one day and one year at a time. But to accomplish this we must change and grow our inner self by focusing on traits that will spread that light through our actions, behaviors, reactions, words, and relationships with others.

1- God is knowable: God is an open book that allows us to connect with him at a higher level. He forms relationships with us by letting us get to know him. He does that through his words, actions and involvement in our lives. We can do the same for our fellow mankind by allowing them to get to know us and see us or who we really are.

2- God is welcoming: He welcomes us all by giving the ultimate gift of his son Jesus Christ. He is open to relationships and connections with us and we must pursue that with him. We can be more welcoming to others, more open to who they are, more graceful in accepting others and their differences. We should welcome people into our lives so we can show them we love, care and want to support them like God does us.

3- God is creative: He created everything and is the master potter of clay. He forms us into creative beings that are capable of doing anything we desire if we seek him first. We all have some form of creativity and can make things. Sure, we cannot snap our fingers and create mankind, planets, stars and spirit. But we can use our gifts of creativity to create a better world through ideas, actions, building, innovation, brain storming and making a better life here on Earth for our children and grand children.

4- God is forgiving: Our father forgives us through grace and mercy constantly. He offers us the opportunity to seek forgiveness of our sins, transgressions and pitfalls in life. We must be more forgiving of others and ourselves. Not forgiving others is a plague on mankind that contributes to violence, poor decisions, broken relationships, broken homes, drug addiction, sexual addiction, alcohol addiction and all the other problems we create for ourselves. Ask first for forgiveness, allow others to be forgiven and the world will be a better place.

5- God is honest: What he said we can bank on. What he has promised we can trust in. What he has shown us is consistency. God is not a promise breaker, he is a promise keeper. He was honest in his words on how life is to be lived, how are actions, thoughts, behaviors and the way we chose to live our life’s will impact our eternal life. Some think God may not keep promises, but it is not him that is falling short, it is us as humans. We must be more honest with people, not coddle them or run from their problems. Tell the truth, be honest and hold yourself accountable as God would.

6- God is capable: God is the most capable of all to help, guide, lead, cure, fix, mentor, teach, coach, and show the way. We are all capable of so much more than we have accomplished in life. We are so much more capable of doing great things and being more like the person God wants us to be. To be capable you must first believe in yourself, a higher power and work hard to execute your capability. We may fall short because of human issues, but we are capable of beating all the sin, afflictions, addictions and setbacks in our live to be the absolute best we can.

Proverbs 3:6; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

2nd Timothy 3:17; That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

God Bless! Coach B