It’s all about respect and character in my book and I’m glad my sons have learned the importance of these qualities in athletics, and in life.
There’s no question that being a good athlete requires talent and natural-born ability, but I believe it takes more than that to be first-class complete athlete. Regardless of talent level, a good player needs to be coachable, be a good teammate and be a positive influence.
My sons have played football for years and my wife and I have always stressed to them that it takes more than talent to be successful on the field. You have to step onto the field, whether it’s practice or a game, and show character. A great athlete should be respectful of their coaches, teammates and the game itself. When a team is involved in a community project, players should show up because they want to, not because they have to.
