Rose Bowl - Penn State
As I watched James Franklin, Penn State Football coach, in his press interview after a devastating loss to USC in the Rose Bowl, I could not be more proud of the coach and wishing a lot more people will hear what he had to say. He said that people focus on the wins and losses but that the greater purpose in college is that they leave better prepared for life. Coach Franklin also mentioned that college athletics is about allowing them to be in situations to overcome adversity and preparing them to be successful in life. I could not agree more.
We think college is all about studying and check marking the college step in order to get a job and be successful. We think that college athletics is all about winning and nothing else. But college is much more than that. College is the place, is the time in their life, where our youth start to develop their own self. It is a time to continue discovering themselves, what are their passions, what are they good at, how they will like to contribute to life, meet new friends, overcoming adversity on their own and discovering themselves. It is about trying new things and if it does not work out, trying something else. It is about being curious about what life has to offer and leaving no stone unturned in finding their path. It is about understanding and discovering that when you are down, you can get up and figure it out yourself.
If your son was on that Penn State team that just lost the Rose Bowl and you hear Coach Franklin said what he said, how would you feel? Would you be proud that your son is playing for someone that has character and great values? Or would you be mad because he is not worried or focused more on winning? Think about it. My next question to you is then, based on your answer, how are you living your life as a parent? Are you worried more about winning or losing or about how your son/daughter played and behaved out there? Are you more worried about how many points he/she scored or about how he/she is learning to overcome adversity?
I see so much nowadays in my son’s soccer games where parents are more worried about winning, than teaching their kids to play fair, to practice hard, to learn to get up when you get down, to learn how to win and how to lose and to make sure they always shake their's opponents hand after each game no matter the final score.
Life is much more than wins and losses. Our kids need to know that. If is not us as parents to teach them, who will?
