FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

There is a certain energy on Friday nights when the high school football team plays. A nice cool crisp evening; the mass of school colors; the rhythm of the music; the cadence of the cheerleaders and the anxiety that this could be the last time your son ever plays the game. I try not to over dramatize high school football but for a group of 14-18 year olds, they are “the Band of Brothers.”

My son’s high school team lost last weekend in the 3^rd round of the state playoffs. When the final horn sounded and I walked down to the field to get my post game hug, I felt a lump in my throat. Many of the players tried to hide their tear filled eyes as they knelt during the post-game prayer. It was hard not to feel proud of these young guys for what they accomplished. Because the remarkable part of their season was not the 10-4 record it was the fact that when they were freshmen they went 0-11.

It was agonizing four years ago watching them lose every Friday night but something was happening. They were getting better. I could see it, they could see it, their coaches could see it and the opposition could see it. Hope sprang for the group of 14 year olds that season. 0-11 turned into 6-6 and then 8-4 and finally this year’s phenomenal season.

I learned 4 LEADERSHIP LESSONS from these “Band of Brothers.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #1: Love and Trust is the cornerstone to any successful team. The truly successful teams love and trust each other unconditionally. Leadership creates the trust that each person will play their assigned roles, will be mentally and physically ready to play every day, and that 

coaches, captains and the seniors are taking you in the right direction.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #2: Serving is greater than being served. A few of the players crying after the loss were young kids that hardly saw the field this year. Yet, even though they didn’t play, they were part of the brotherhood. They stood in the huddle every day and they were practicing every day for something greater than self.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #3: Incremental growth can lead to exponential growth. The saying that a rising tide raises all boats is so true. When one player improves just a little it helps the team but it also helps improve another teammate and then another, and then another. Summer workouts become less of a chore and more just second nature. Eventually the exponential growth has multiplied across the team as 14 year olds become 18 year olds.

As I stood around the group of coaches and players huddled in prayer it was hard knowing this was the last football huddle for Brooks. Even though there was mostly silence across the group, you could feel everything. You could feel the frustration of losing a close game. You could feel the steam and sweat floating up over the huddle and you could feel the tears of so many wonderful young men.

It was in the midst of one of the saddest moments in their young lives that I realized LEADERSHIP LESSON #4: Greatness comes when we all become one. In that final huddle, thanking God for blessing us more than we deserve, we had one heart-beat. Parents, Brothers, Sisters, Coaches, Players, Cheerleaders, Managers…we were all just a small part of something really cool!

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN’T LOSE….On to basketball season!!