Graduation Message

Teacher, Coach, as I have stated numerous times throughout my teaching and coaching career, those two nouns are interchangeable. If you are a good teacher then you probably spend a great deal of time coaching your students to not give up when things are tough and to always do their best. Transversely, if you have experienced a great deal of success as a coach, you undoubtable have spent a great deal of time teaching the X's and O's of the game, the intricacies of a technique, the plays that seem to always work, and then exhuming a tremendous amount of time and effort into practicing those learned skills to perfection. I just don't see how one of these positions can be mentioned without the other. So, with that being said, I'd like to share a message with graduating seniors of the class of 2024. 

 

Graduation Day is upon us across these United States of America and with that said I'd like to offer a resounding "Congratulations" to each graduate in America and beyond! Sticking with the teacher/coach analogy, those graduating this spring have been in practice mode for the past seventeen or eighteen years. You have had a plethora of "coaches" throughout your formal education ranging from parents, to teachers, to mentors, and for those that entered the playing fields of sports a vast number of literal coaches. During my tenure in the classroom and on the athletic fields of the sports I coached, I gave credence to a phrase that hopefully inspired at least a small percentage of those I taught/coached. "Never give up, never quit, and always do your best", was my challenge as we practiced and trained. That challenge invokes a great deal of personal sacrifice, you have to be able to endure hardship, obstacles, even brick walls that stand in your way without ever giving up. Paul summed it up like this, "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." I Corinthians 9:27. Now your "practice" in the classroom is coming to an end and it is time to take your practice to the next stage of your life's journey. 

 

I often refer to post-secondary plans in my conversations with students, which in the athletic realm would be comparable to the athlete's game plan. Some students will choose to attend a four-year university directly out of high school, while others may make the choice to attend a community or technical college. Others will make the decision to join the military ranks and serve our country which is an honorable decision for sure. For some, the training and certifications gained during the practice stage of their education will provide them an opportunity to move directly into the workforce. Regardless of the path your journey takes you on next, I would like to impart a set of challenges to you. This trio of life challenges won't guarantee you success, but they will most certainly give you a better opportunity to succeed. 

 

1. Be a life-long learner. Always maintain a thirst for knowledge. Just as a professional athlete must continue honing his or her skill set, pursuing advanced certifications and degrees will keep you at peak level on the game field. Read, study, and obtain knowledge every day. "Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:10-13. Your unquenchable thirst for knowledge will open doors of opportunity and provide you with a better understanding of the world and of who you were purposed to be. 

 

2. Determine how you will make this world a better place. An athlete's contribution to the success of the team requires placing others before self. One of the best athlete's I have had an opportunity to be associated with, would run off the court after a game and ask his grandfather, "How many assists did I have tonight?" It wasn't about how many points he scored individually, but it was all about how many other people he could assist in scoring points themselves. And as I stated, he was most likely one of the best athletes I have had the privilege to watch grow up. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4. Regardless of the degree you earn or the career field you choose, you will have a choice to make. You will choose to help others or to help yourself. Acts 20:35 tells us, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said “It is more blessed to give than to receive." Gandhi had it right, "Be the change you want to see".

 

3. "Never give up. Never quit. And always do your best!" As a coach that has always been my mantra, we didn't always win, but we were never going to give up in trying to win. Failure is not an option. Giving up is giving in which is what this world will tell you to do. Don't listen to the world and don't allow your head to tell your heart what to do. Don't quit, the stories of men and women who have been on the brink of quitting, but persevered and reached success are countless. And, when you show up to the game or clock in for the job, always give your best! Someone is watching you and they will rise or fall to your level of performance. You are a leader, lead them up! "Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. " Colossians 3:23.

 

As the pomp and circumstance of graduation concludes, I encourage you to not look at this as an end. This is just a chapter of the book of your life, and as you turn that page the paper is blank. Write the story you want to write and don't allow anyone to write it for you! Let the journey begin! 

Coach Carter