On the TUNNEYSIDE of SPORTS November 14, 2016 # 619 Up Next…On Being Disillusioned!
After further review…As our country completes a way-too-expensive political campaign that reached absurd levels of character assassination, how do we recover from the divisiveness that took place? Is that what politics is all about? Former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson once defined politics: “’Poly’ meaning many and ‘tics’ meaning ‘blood suckers.’” Did all that negativity serve any useful purpose? Will that kind of diatribe continue from either those who will lead our government or from those who are on the outside complaining about results?
How do we teach our young that what they witnessed was superficial political posturing that often obscured or ignored what should be the true nature of candidates? How do we create a positive climate that builds and strengthens the type of personality that promotes strong character? Can sports give us the answer?
Many in the sports world have proclaimed: “Sports build character.” Others have countered: “Sports may not build character, but it can certainly reveal it.” Sport coaches can have a direct influence on building an athlete’s character. Moreover, teachers in classrooms and parents at home have that same “coaching responsibility” as well. In my book, “It’s the Will, Not the Skill,” we write “Excellence is good, exemplary is better.” We teach character better by example than by preaching. The values of teamwork, diligence, attention-to-detail, faith, hope, self-sacrifice, trust, honesty and the like are best taught through modeling.
Reacting to a defeat (see recent election results) in a hurtful, negative way by a coach only tells his T*E*A*M that is the way to behave in their future. Losing? Sure, it hurts and that feeling of hurt or loss often makes it difficult to move on. But moving on is what life is all about. When coaches or people take the “why me” or “it’s not fair” position, they limit their strength to improve the lives on their team.
Jack Canfield, co-founder and author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” enterprise teaches the E+R=O philosophy (Event+Response=Outcome); i.e., the positive response you take will determine the outcome you will have. It’s your thoughts about the event, not the event itself, that determine the quality of your future. The best coaches and teachers employ that method through the idea of bouncing back. In any sports defeat, its loyalist and backers need to come together to remain strong.
Will you understand that defeat will come to us all, but it’s our personal strengths that determine the outcome?
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These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others.
