It's Not Just Adults Who Inspire

Football is a BIG deal in Dinwiddie County. Why shouldn't it be? With Coach Billy Mills at the head of the program the team has racked up more victories than I can count and the Dinwiddie Generals have a State Champion ring to go along with their perennial post season play.

A couple of years ago, I was given the opportunity to be the PA announcer for the Varsity Generals (a position that had been filled for decades by Mr. Bill Knott, the man whose name now adorns the Generals' press box). Not only did I love the experience, I was welcomed into the family that is Dinwiddie Football (Navy Nation). In fact, after my first year I was invited to be a part of the committee that met and interviewed the prospective captains for the team. The young people that interviewed were some of the most well-spoken, confident, and humble student athletes I had ever met (and I was a coach in my own right for ten years). I was struck by the weight they were willing to add to their shoulders as they sought to serve as a captain for the Generals (it's a responsibility that involves leadership, community service, personal accountability, group accountability, academic excellence, and the list goes on). Those interviews are among some of the most memorable of my career. Listening to those young people talk about what it meant to be a General and what it would mean to be a leader on the team made me truly appreciate the thought and determination they brought to the field every day.

Now, I tell you that story so I can tell you this one (we call that "building prior knowledge," right?).

A young man sat down before us and told us why he wanted to lead and what football meant to him. When I asked what he planned to do after high school, he didn't hesitate, "I want to be a Marine, sir. Military service is what my whole family has done as long as any of us can remember." He went on to say he wanted to do his basic training at Paris Island because the specialty he wanted had a school based there. The rest of his interview was very impressive and, though he was not chosen as a captain, his answers and his "I-want-it-so-I'll-get-it" attitude stayed with me.

The Generals went on to have a great season. They only lost one regular season game and made it to the VHSL State Semi Finals in the playoffs. Players received offers from colleges and for other post-secondary opportunities. The high school had signing days for athletes, and another signing day where every senior had a chance to tell the world where s/he was going after graduation. I didn't get to join them over at the high school that day, but I did think about the young man and his interview.

Since the young man and my middle bonus son (some might say "stepson," but not me) play soccer for the Generals, I've been able to keep up with him this spring. I've spoken to him or shaken his hand a few times in passing and have come to further appreciate his leadership and dedication as a member of the soccer team.

the other night as I was leaving the soccer field after an away game, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found myself wrapped in a bro-hug from the young man. "Just wanted to tell you, sir, I've got my orders for basic training," he smiled, "Paris Island!" He did exactly what he'd told me he planned (not hoped - planned) to do for years. Immediately humbled by the fact that he thought enough of me to seek me out and tell me his news, I smiled and I reciprocated the bro-hug, offering my congratulations and letting him know how proud I was of him for having a goal and working toward it. As he went to the bus and I went to my car, I realized that this young man - who I had known for less than a year - had been quietly inspiring me since I'd first shaken his hand. That's right, this high school senior inspired me; and he didn't do it with on-field statistics or by wearing the mantle of a captain. He did it by believing that what he wanted was never out of his reach - and then proving it.

His isn't a story of overcoming great odds. There's no diagnosis, no car accident, no great loss, no one standing in his way...but his story is still important. His is a story of dedication, of keeping your eyes on your prize, of making a decision and then living that decision. His is a story reminds which us that great inspiration can come from the simple act of belief.

That's the story I want to be told, that belief inspires effort; that effort fuels achievement; and that achievement is the gateway to success and achievement. I am truly grateful to be part of his story.