“Stay true” is one of the traditional statements that our football team has had for as long as anyone can remember. I believe it’s part of what makes our High School football program continually successful and very special. It’s good to know our children are being coached up and reminded to stay true as teammates, leaders, and athletes. It is also important to understand that there are standards and expectations that are connected to that statement. An ownership mindset must take root, holding themselves and each other accountable to represent well on and off the field. This creates a very positive community for our children when they take pride in being who they say they are, and not be tempted by the pressures of the world around them. This breeds a specific type of culture, and that culture creates a specific type of chemistry. When anyone tries to change the culture by being something different than expected, the chemistry becomes affected and inevitably the end result of success will be affected too. This is the reason that “stay true” is so important to a team that expects to win!
How many times have we heard our children reply “everyone else” to get something, do something, watch or listen to something? More than any of us can count. Then, we would always follow with the answer that “you aren’t everyone else”. As parents, when raising champion kids into champion adults, the concept of being confident in their decision to be “different” must be encouraged, and over time will become very attractive to others. This will draw others toward them because of health standards and absolutes they live by, also known as leadership.
Our children understanding early in life that they are an extension of more than themselves wherever they go is an important life lesson to learn. But being true to and for each other starts with us being true to ourselves.
In Romans 12:2 we are taught of this healthy way to live. We are to live as we are called and expected to live by God first and foremost. There is a right and wrong way to live and we must be reminded or transformed by the renewing of the mind through God’s word. We must remember that Jesus sees everything at all times, and He knows if we are being affected by the pressures’ of the world or being true to the expectations as sons and daughters of the highest by representing that title with excellence. So, ultimately we should all decide to “be true”. We all have expectations in many areas of our lives. We all represent more than just ourselves and we are all an extension of others. So when the pressures of the world try to come against us, we must make the decision to stay true and stand firm is what we stand for!
