The conversation starts with Jim’s 15th annual barbecue for the High School football team he played for 40 years ago…good stuff
Jim reflects back to how he became an active volunteer for the high school and specifically his football team 15 years ago
Mark makes the observation that good players rarely make good coaches. Many great players don’t want to be coaches
Jim started helping by being the weight coach for the freshmen and saw that the training facilities were in really bad shape. And that kids are kids. No color or size or hair style…just kids
Jim began a fund raising initiative for new facilities and all the details that went into that He rallied some successful alum and raised a ton of money…some of them professional athletes
It started with a golf tournament and then they all reflected on how life changing these investments of time and money could be and the went into high gear
Mark gives Jim kudos for the great work
Then Jim tells us what the program looks like now and how these efforts will give young men direction and belonging…changing lives
Jim fills in the gaps from his life journey from high school graduation to today…very cool
The importance of strong male role models
Jim shares some more football stories and life lessons including him overcoming some major transformative events including a car accident and discovering he had dyslexia
Jim ties it all back into his 15 year run asa mentor and this years backyard barbecue
High school kids are being “prepared in socialism and released into capitalism”
“The Season Of Life” book is an important set of lessons about men’s roles in this world
Jim shares the status of 9 alum that are all successful that also came back to the barbecue
One of the alum brought a “special guest”. An alum named Andre Ward - gold medal undefeated champion boxer who gave an awesome speech for about 15 minutes
Jim opens a window to all the politics and effort that went into what has become a movement to include all 3 high schools in the district $240 million dollars raised!
Mark and Jim share their perspectives on Andre’s speech,,,powerful. Jim shares Andre’s credentials as an athlete, but more importantly as a man
Jim breaks down Andre’s speech
Other topics…show up every day
Jim opens the barbecue with his “one rule”…there are no rules. You guys earned the right to be here…and they have not had one incident in 15 years
Mark mentions Bill Campbell and the book “Trillion Dollar Coach”
Jim shares some more alumni success stories and ties them into their common “wins”
The guys appreciate how sports eliminates the group speak. Skin color doesn’t matter in sports
Mark talk more about the importance of men being men and Jim agrees..why all the division
Mark thinks politics has bled into many areas that it doesn’t belong. Scare people and weaken them and you can control them
Mark and Jim agree on the political division but think it’s turning
Great stories!!
