“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. Will you plan a tower to reach the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”  – St. Augustine

Dear SKS Families,

Welcome to October! We seem to have gotten some beautiful fall weather the last few days. Cool and crisp mornings with brilliant sunshine are welcome to all that appreciate the changing of the seasons. I am waiting for the flurry of colors that the season of autumn will bring – the paintbrush of God’s work in nature.

Some of you know that I have been a coach for many years.  I see the value of sports in a balanced perspective as a way of youngsters experiencing and learning some life lessons that may not necessarily be learned in the classroom setting. Teamwork, perseverance/resilience, sacrifice, and sportsmanship are just a just a few of those lessons.

I saw the above quote from St. Augustine one day after I watched the Eagles game two weeks ago. I watched a certain New York Giants player celebrate obnoxiously in the end zone and thought to myself, let’s add a good dose of humility to those life lessons.

It saddens me to see some reality television stars and professional/college athletes act in a way that is the antithesis of what we expect from our children.  Even more painful is that many of our youngsters, despite the antics they see, still admire and want to emulate them. Call me an old coach that is still “old school” but I will always believe in remaining humble, and look for role models for the next generation to follow. If you have read anything about the Eagles quarterback, Carson Wentz, you can readily see that he appears to be a good role model. He seems grounded in his faith, does little to draw attention to himself, yet is not ashamed in any way to play for his AO1 (Audience of One) -his belief in Jesus Christ.   He espouses to a saying I was always fond of that said: “Win with humility and lose with dignity.” That’s both on and off the field.

Who are your child’s role models? Who are they following and why?  Let them choose wisely.

Take care,

Bud