When my son passed away in 2016 my Wife and Daughter went to extremes to make his Memorial a kid friendly family experience. They hit a home run.
One thing they did was print up 100's of those silicon wrist bands with some of his Mantras printed on them that he was so famous for. All of them were gone by the end of the Memorial.
That next season I noticed some of the kids wearing them during the games. I warned them that "jewelry" was illegal but they didn't care. They told the Refs when approached they wont be coming off and why and nobody has made them take them off too date. Apparently they are wearing them for all the sports they play.
I started getting calls and emails the last few months that these wrist bands were wearing out and breaking and these players wanted replacements. Many of these kids requesting do not play for my current team but still wear these wrist bands. One of the parents offered to pay for another 500 and mail them to anyone that needed a replacement.
Pretty cool that such a simple item means so much to so many. My Son certainly made an impression on a whole bunch of kids. Here is a picture of our team a few years ago right before the coin flip. You can see the green and white wrist bands on some of the players and one of our coaches.
What is beautiful, lives forever.
That's awesome Coach!!!!
They told the Refs when approached they wont be coming off and why and nobody has made them take them off too date.
--It's a safety issue. Opposing fingers can get snagged in those things.
My Son certainly made an impression on a whole bunch of kids.
--Every coach has that opportunity. Not every coach chooses to seize it. Your son did. To those kids, your son was probably Lombardi, Belichick, Santa Claus and their dad all rolled into one. Glad that you shared this.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Great stuff! Our legacy goes beyond our time on this Earth. Your son's legacy spreads far and serves to inspire many young men. The thing is, those young men will go on to inspire others and the cycle will continue.
Thanks Guys
About 6 months after my son passed I was at one of our coaches BBQ's. I sat down next to a stranger. He was a long time basketball coach at one of the local HS programs and he knew I was a youth football coach. We talked and in passing he mentioned he lost his son. He did not know my situation.
I stopped him mid sentence and asked him about his son. It was 19 years ago and he was in a one car accident coming home from college. I explained my situation and asked him how he copes.
He doesn't after all these years but told me something that works for him...any day you get to talk about your son is a good day. Turns out he is right.
Thank you for giving me a good day today. 8)
What is beautiful, lives forever.
Well done
We now use those bands to reward kids- based on our weekly Character Trait
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.Winston Churchill
Awesome stuff Coach! Gone too soon, but he obviously impacted the youth in a positive way. Glad you shared.
That's awesome!
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