joejoe.wright@cordeledispatch

.com

The other night as I sat at the Lion’s Club Fairgrounds and we were preparing to honor the Crisp County and Crisp Academy Coaching staffs with a delicious supper. The event named in remembrance of Mr. Bobby Davis who spent 30 years in the Crisp County system and then many more at Crisp Academy as headmaster.

Mr. Bub Denham came up to give the invocation and before he started he spoke briefly to all the coaches there about the influence they have over our kids. I was over there nodding my head like one of them “bobble heads” because I knew he was oh so right!

The ability of a coach to persuade, motivate and down right direct a kid in life is really unparalleled, really only a parent exudes more influence. Coaches love to yell at you, I know I coached a long time and I have also been yelled at a lot. The one truism I have found to be fundamentally true through all the decades I have been around about coaches and their relationship with players is this. “Players don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care.” That is a fact! Our coaches in our community are not just charged with teaching baseball, football, basketball and other sports. They are charged with helping to instill discipline, honor, courage and commitment to a team concept. To be a part of something more important than yourself.  I personally cannot recall a time I have ever heard a person speak of their high school coach in a negative connotation. Oh I have heard how hard they were and maybe a few mistakes they made but always respectfully. Mostly when you hear men or women speak of their high school coach it is usually with great reverence. So to all the older and the newer coaches in the business remember that young minds are like a sponge soaking up everything and just when you think they ain’t listening, oh yes they are I can assure you!