Put me in Coach!

When you think of great coaches, names like Mike Krzyzewski, Tony La Russa or Vince Lombardi usually come to mind. They are famous and have had successful and long careers as coaches. What was it that made them so great and successful?

I think it's a combination of things.

Coach K focuses on making individual players become better teamates.

Tony La Russa had been a player and leads by example. He had been where his players are.

Vince Lombardi was a great motivator and leader. Even if a player thought it impossible, Coach Lombardi pushed him and worked him until he believed.

They took the best of a player and made him even better.

My brother Rob is a coach.

He coaches his boys' teams and loves it. He's a great football coach.

But he's an even better 'life coach'.

He is the oldest of 7 children. He's been the Neal Armstrong for all of us that came after.

He has always just naturally led. He was the first for everything.

He has been 'watched' for 40 years. He's handled that pressure well.

From the time I was teeny tiny, I have loved Rob. I have known that he was there for me. I have never doubted that he was watching out for me.

Like Coach K, he has always tried to make people better.

When I was a very awkward 7th grader trying to figure out where I fit in, Rob was a very popular Junior in High School. He had the most beautiful girl friends that would come to our house. I'm sure they felt stalked as I lurked in the corner admiring their big hair and big shoulder pads. A couple of these lovely girls were Angie Tueller and Gina Gyllenskog. (Don't their names just make them sound pretty?) anyway, these girls had younger sisters who were in my grade and I'm sure had no idea who I was. I found out much later that my sweet brother had encouraged (begged) Natalie and Kim to be nice to me and try and include me in their cool group. I'm sure the last thing they wanted was a 'project' worthy of a John Hughes plot line but nevertheless, they included me in their tightknit group and I am still friends with those girls to this day. Those girls also helped keep me on the straight and narrow and made my teenage years not only bearable but downright enjoyable.

I love the fact that baseball is the only sport where the 'coach' dresses up like the players.

(I mean, can you even imagine Jerry Sloan in short shorts and high tops?)

But in baseball it somehow works. The manager looks like one of the team. He's one of them.

Tony La Russa was a player before he was a manager.

He knew what it was like to strike out, miss an easy play, or score a homerun.

His players knew he wasn't perfect. They also knew that he didn't quit.

He knew how to overcome mistakes.

I have sat through hundreds of talks and classes and lectures on repentance and forgiveness.

They have been true and good.

But I will never forget when I truly learned what it meant to be sorry for something.

To feel it deep in your soul.

We were having Family Home Evening and Rob was sitting under the living room window. He had hair, (it was even permed). He had on his pink izod shirt that was my favorite. We were talking (I can't even remember the topic) when Rob started to cry. I don't mean the pretty Demi Moore one tear down the cheek cry, I mean the Ugly, lip quiverying cry. He then told us about skipping out on church to go to Troy Haslam's house to jump on his tramp. I know that probably sounds silly but he was genuinely sorry that he had done that. He hadn't been caught, nobody probably would have even found out...he was just sorry.

That has been the most effective lesson on repentance I have ever had. Whenever I feel the need to repent (daily) I think, "Am I 'jumping on Troy Haslam's tramp' sorry?"

I know that Rob will always have on the same uniform as me.

That's comforting.

Vince Lombardi is the coach that people who don't know coaches still know.

He's famous for his inspiring words and the way he motivated his players.

Rob has always been motivated. He missed many camping trips to be tortured during 3-a-Days. He worked to be able to help pay for his mission. He is very dedicated and works like crazy to support his family. He is very loyal and protective of his family. He knows what it takes to be successful. And he's survived at least 6 life-threatening incidents.

He is here for a purpose.

And my kids love when he talks like a duck.

While it may sound like I think Rob is perfect..I know he is not..

But Coach Lombardi said it best:

"Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.

"After all the cheer have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines have been written and after you are back in the quiet of your room and the championship ring has been placed on the dresser and after all the pomp and fanfare have faded, the enduring hting that is left is the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live."

Happy Birthday to my favorite coach.

Thanks for making the world and the people in it a little bit better.

Love you!