LovePrints. The cure for darkness, is light.

LovePrints.

Learning and Loving through sports.

How about we put our brightest lights in the darkest spaces?

I have always known that sports can be a great connector in our society. It removes boundaries, introduces other cultures, expands our knowledge of other people, and brings us closer together. Athletics highlights the best in us and provides solutions to the things that hinder our ability to get along.

When I started LovePrints, I recognized that using sports as one of the vehicles for covering the planet in love was easy. Athletes are often highlighted, followed, serve as an example, and can rally the masses. If these athletes recognize their influence, they can be the leaders off the field as well as on. If we handle this properly, they will have as much impact in the school and community, as they do on their respective fields of play.

If we, as coaches, parents, and teachers cover these athletes in love, they will have more to cover others in love. If we cover them in love, nothing else will stick. That should be the mission. That should be the goal. Cover the leaders in love. Cover the examples in love. And then, watch those leaders do the same for others.

Often, we see images and videos of star athletes stopping by to visit and talk to other athletes. What if those star athletes made a point to go into the corners and dark places of schools, communities, and hallways to find those people who need love the most? What if they made a point to visit with, get to know, connect with, and befriend those loneliest and most disconnected of us?

The child sitting alone in the stairwell. The kid not chosen for games. The young one who does not have a team, or the one who does not belong to a club. How cool would that be? How cool would that be to have that connection?

Maybe this would shine a light on them. It might even do something for their self-esteem. It might add a few smiles, and maybe even make some new friends.

Imagine a baseball team of 25 players. If each player finds a new person to introduce themselves to, share themselves with, and get to know, that’s using our brightest stars for their grandest purpose. For every home game, they invite a different person to their game. Next game, next new friend. That’s 25 a game. And for each game, its 25 more friends at the game than the last. 25 new people with a vested interest in each other. 25 new people connected through and because of the program. Ten games later, the stands should be full of new friends, new fans, and connected family.

We can talk all we want about why our young people are full of angst and nerves. Let’s send them some reinforcements. Let’s send them our best. Let’s send them our love!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

Let’s let our stars be thLove bright lights that they are. Let them be the light for those in the dark. Let’s go!

Stars Shine!

LovePrints 168. "I do not have the time." Yes, you do. We all do.

168. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.

We all have the same amount of time to accomplish everything we need to. The 4.0 student and the 2.0 student have the same amount of time. The CEO and their employees all have the same 168. The mom, dad, and child all have the same 168. It is what they do with and in their 168 that determines who they are. It also determines how they got there.

The greatest excuse for not getting things done is "I simply do not have the time." The time is there. Its whats done with your time that matters. Once the priority is determined, directing time to it is easy. Imagine trying to drive somewhere without having the address, it is far more difficult to get there without it. No GPS can help you get anywhere without a destination.

The 168 program has several ways to help you as teachers, parents, students, and coaches. It simplifies the process, makes talking about it easier, and removes the chaos of last minute homework issues, project delays, unfinished assignments, and lack of communication between the student and the adults that love them.

I recently spoke to a team of players, coaches, and parents. I asked them all if they had spent more time together talking to each other about academics or dating. Academics or music. Academics or television. A silence took over the room. What you give time to becomes the priority. What you ignore, fades. The 168 allows the adults to talk to the students in an informed, productive, and positive way.

What do you talk to your students about?

Use your 168 wisely. Make sure that there is room for love.

Loveprints Scholarship announcement!

Osbourn High School in Manassas, Virginia announced on May 17, 2017  The Derrick Pearson Scholarship, to the minority senior who best displays how they currently or will apply the qualities of leadership and spread a positive image in society. As the founder of LovePrints, this is an honor beyond wishes. As the person who has been deemed worthy of a scholarship in their name, I am humbled.

What I would like to do is expand on this idea. I would like to announce that LovePrints would like to create another scholarship (or a few) at different schools around the country, with the same ideals of leadership, positive impact on school, church, and/or community, and a desire to make an positive impact on those around them.

http://loveprints.us/

LovePrints will direct proceeds of all merchandise sales from www.loveprints.us, from today until June 30, 2017. There are several items to choose from, and it will allow additional students and schools to get assistance with their college education.

Each item will also help in covering our communities in LovePrints, with a reminder of the good we can do when our hearts and hands work together.

https://estore.acreativeresource.com/loveprintsstore/default.aspx?p=viewcat&showpage=2

If you want to simply donate to the scholarship without purchasing any items, please let me know directly at coachdp@loveprints.us.

Thank you Osbourn High School, and M. Magerkorth, for your kindness, consideration, and LovePrints.

Love in action. Action in love.

Cover the world in love.

LovePrints - Arlington County and The Black Knights

The Mighty Black and Gold! The Black Knights of Arlington, Virginia. A mix of everything and everyone in South Arlington. Black, white, brown, yellow, and every color that exists. All under one black and gold umbrella. If you grew up in Arlington back in the day, you recognized the colors black and gold, and you knew that whoever was wearing them was connected to anyone else that wore them past or present. You might ask their last name to find out what family, just so you could send home a hug or a smile to someone or everyone in that family. You knew their siblings, you knew their neighborhood, and you knew their friends. They knew you. You were a Black Knight. The Black Knights were about sports, but so much more. The Knights were about each other, and everyone else. They were about the neighborhoods that represented them, and that the Black Knights represented. They were about the families that trusted them with their kids and their well being. They were about standard. The Mighty Black Knights.

They were a fence post in the community. They were a meeting place, a boundary setter, a standard carrier, and they were home. You knew that you could see everyone on any given practice night or game day, and that you could check in and know what was going on while you were away within minutes. You knew who had parents that worked late, who had a big station wagon, who had the best family meals, and who had the best back yard for after practice get togethers. Any parent was everyone's parent. Any child was everyone's child. And oh what a wonderful family it was.

The last names were calling cards, business cards, and most definitely, id cards. We all knew the names that led us, coached us, taught us, and loved us. (And pardon me know if I miss a name or family, I would be here all night if I listed everyone. Plus, I am old and my memory is leaking!). You knew the names. They were on the call list (pre email, text, and cell phones). They were on the address list so that parents knew where to drop off those ride-less kids. They needed the home phone numbers because some dear sweet soul would have to call the entire roster if there were practice, game, weather, or game treat updates.

The Kayes. Hunter. Terrell. Glascock. Saunder. Holland. Reid. Blackwell. Goodwin. McKinney. Fox. Ney. Naylor. Taylor. Morris. Peyton. Hunt. Cook. Woody. Hutchinson. Blake. Etal. (Told you, I would forget some. Feel free to add to the list!) These were just some of the names that rang out and stood out in the Black Knights family. These were the folks that followed you home, popped in at school, drove through the neighborhood, and hugged you. That is who the Black Knights were. They were extended family who you grew up with and left a LovePrint on us ALL.

It was football with its coronation from white pants to gold, meaning you had grown up enough to wear the awesome gold game pants, to the spray painting of the black helmets on Friday night so that they were gorgeous and shiny for Saturdays game. It was THE THING. It was Saturday's at Bluemont Park, TJ, and Yorktown. ALL DAY! Watching each weight class, seeing everyone, following the amazing Black Knight cheerleaders as they SHOWED OUT EVERY WEEK! (Sorry Bearcats cheerleaders, but..). From the team tents with great food and BL gear, to seeing each of Arlington's team roll through.

It was basketball and its twice a week stops at Swanson. Sitting in the stands and watching the older legends play, catching up with the other teams, and saying high to your friends that played on other squads. (Smaller squad size moved a lot of Knights to other sponsors in basketball season).

Baseball and Softball was amazing. Weeknights and Saturdays at Barcroft, and again, ALL DAY. Every age group, every level, and chasing foul balls and returning them for sno-cones during the day. The Black Knights were an all year family, no matter the sport, season, or reason, you were covered in Black Knights family love forever. And the other teams that partnered up with the Black Knights in South and Central Arlington (Fairlington Mustangs, Red Top Cab, Bauer Studios, Arlington Trust, Real Title, Arlington Cubs, etc), all made for young people who felt like they belonged, mattered, and were connected to something amazing. And they were right.

Decades later, if you want to know what the impact of the Black Knights was, simply ask someone, anyone, who was a part of the family. You can even ask the Hawks, Cubs, Bearcats, Optimist, and anyone who grew up in Arlington. They will smile with love. That is what the Black Knights were about. Love.