I have spent the majority of my life in education as both a teacher and a coach. I see so many things that correlate on both the court/field and in the classroom.
I think athletics is essential to help teach many ideas that we want our future generations to both exemplify and pass on to their kids. The court teaches you teamwork. I spent four years coaching boys basketball with two years as head varsity basketball coach and I learned that teamwork almost always beats talent. Teamwork is essential in the classroom and essential in the workplace as you are grouped together and set with goals and asked to achieve results.
Athletics teaches you humility. You can recognize that even though you may be good that does not guarantee victory. You can say that tonight, that team was better then us. I think this is where many sport programs fall short. I admit I was outcoached, I don't blame anyone else's shortcomings but my own, but I use this as motivation, as fuel.
Athletics teaches you sportsmanship. With the evolution of our professional organizations like the NBA and NFL, I think this is lost on many of our young athletes. Too many kids today talk trash and they don't possess the respect for themselves, their teammates, their coaches and opposing players. This is something I tried to instill in my players. You can take the concept of respect and apply it off the court in so many parts of your lives.
Athletics teaches you trust because you have to trust your teammates and your coach to help you get everything you want accomplished. It is rare to find a sport where you can do everything on your own. It is the same in the classroom, students have to trust that their teachers and the administration have their best interest in mind and teachers have to put trust in their students that they will do the right thing.
As I decided to leave basketball in 2013, I helped out with the 2013 football season. My knowledge in football is much less than basketball, but I was able to use other talents I possess. I became head of media, filming and posting highlights, running our facebook fan page, and creating a website. See the links below.
Football URL: www.echsfootball.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/EscondidoCharterFootball
