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. Dr. John Butler.

Why do student athletes fail? The question may be the problem.

Why do Student Athletes fail? The question may be the problem.

They don’t. The adults fail.

Student Athletes are products of the adults that love them (or don’t). Student Athletes live in a vacuum of adult created and crafted vacuums, each one filled with mixed messages, confusing priorities, and adult angst. Let’s get to the gut of it all. Adults identify (or don’t) the priority. Adults finance the space (or don’t). Adults are hired to achieve said priority (or don’t). Adults create and raise the student athletes, giving them love, purpose, love, goals, love, belief, love, and support (love).

Now that we have identified the new focus of academic failures, we can work to fix the problems. (Adults). Here is the plan: Keep the first thing first. These are student athletes, not athlete students. When done extremely well, they are SCHOLAR ATHLETES (Yes, I dare to set higher standards). Once the adults agree that the student comes before the athlete, then the path to succeeding at the first thing clears. There are fewer obstacles. There are fewer questions.

Adults, please remember moving forward (and up) that ACADEMICS is the thing. Academics is the key to love of self and others. It is the gift to one’s self that keeps on giving. It opens doors, it finds solutions, and it is a statement that the student is love, and loved enough to improve and add to society, community, and the planet. Practice this statement with your students “Learning is love”.

Adults build the communities, schools, and fields. If the academic focus and priority is clear, decisions about them become simple. What is the first thing? How do we make it better? Is it working? Is it love? Yes, love will be a constant in this. Love of self, family, community, school, others and planet. “Learning is love”. Teaching is also love. The giving of knowledge and information may be one of the great blessings known to mankind. The accepting of that love is the sign of intelligence that is carried throughout life. The openness and willingness to be taught, to accept information, to be questioned, heard, considered, and pondered is how invention and creation are born. And, reborn. Feed love. Love feeds.

When those schools are built, “This is where love lives” should be on every building and in every classroom. These words should be in every teacher contract and on every desk. Adults in place should be asked if they love themselves before being given the responsibility of loving our young futures. They should be asked if they love their students. They should be asked if they love what they are teaching and sharing. This ensures the reinforcing of the positive and loving environment that learning needs, and deserves.

When adult coaches are hired, ask them if they know what is THE focus is. (Academics) Ask them what should they focus on when the first thing and ANY other thing conflicts with it. (Academics) Ask what they are being paid for. (Academics) Ask again, what comes first? (Academics). Then celebrate them when they succeed at it. Celebrate them when the thing that comes first is KEPT first. Celebrate them when the love that they have is shared, repeated, and multiplied. Celebrate them!

When adult teachers are hired, ask them the same questions what comes first? (Academics) Then, ask again. Remind them that they are there to love someone’s, everyone’s young people, and to teach them. They are there to love them, even when they do not feel like loving them, or self. Does their love show in their lessons, in their planning, and in their daily connections? Does love appear on the faces of the students, and do the students leave their classrooms in more love than when they got there? Do the students ask questions, do they smile, and do they say thank you? The adults own the room, they are the keepers of time, and the directors of the lives they touch daily.

When the adults send the students to school, is there love on them already? Love comes in all sizes and colors. Love can be a few hugs before and after school. Love can be authentic questions about the day before, the day of, and what the next day holds. Love can be a kiss on the head during study time, it can be a text during the day to remind them of love of themselves and from home. Love can be an email to the teacher or coach saying thank you, one to the student confirming pride and support, or a text to yourself reminding you to send love later. Love can be ten minutes each week with no cell phones and just two smiles, yours and theirs. Love can be acknowledgment that you understand what they are going through because you were them, once.

When the schools, teachers, coaches, parents, and community all state constantly and consistently what they focus is, that is what it will be. When each of them remember that the system is simply the fence posts in place, each one needing the other to help boundary great young people into greater old people, the fence keeps the priority in place. When one post loosens, the others should feel a tug when resistance happens. When a student strays from the path, the posts are pulled with them, signaling to them all that reposting is needed. When the adults remember what the focus is, focus becomes clearer. It is up to the adults to not fail. As coaches are prone to say, “Win or learn. Never lose.”. Once the adults learn that it is STUDENT ATHLETE, winning happens. Some would say that learning leads to winning.

I cannot wait until the adults learn. The student athletes are trying to win. They need our help. And, our love.

Its only just a game.

It is only just a game. I said it. Its only just a game.

When caught up in the emotion of the moment, it is sometimes easy to forget that it is just a game. Even if it your job, it is still just a game. Even if it’s the most important game of the season that week. Or that season. Or that career.  It is only just a game.

If you are in little league, as a coach, parent, fan, official, or player, it is just a game. It is not going to determine your draft status, scholarship offer, financial tax bracket, or your reputation. It is just a game. It simply isn’t. Go to class. Have some laughs. Learn how to make friends. Allow yourself to grow up. Enjoy the orange slices and juice boxes. Chase butterflies on the field, and turn your back to the play. Enjoy yourself. Parents, feed them. They are growing. That includes on the field and off. Coaches, be delicate. Important cargo on board.

If you are in middle school, it is just a game. It does not matter what the wins and losses amount to. It is just a game. It does not matter how many points Jr. scored against another 8^th grader. Alabama does not care. Neither do the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Yankees, or Montreal Canadians. There are too many more games to be played to award you their time, money, or energy. Relax mom and dad, they will find out about your child when they are old enough. Go to class kids. Listen to music. Amaze your parents with how fast you are growing. Check on their class work parents. Ask them how their day went. Deliver them to high school with a smile coaches.

If you are in high school, it is still just a game. Everyone knows the numbers on the small percentage of athletes that move on to the next level. (3%) Everyone knows the numbers on the larger percentage of students who move to the next level. (65%) Everyone should know the number of parents whose behavior makes their young people unattractive to colleges. High school coaches who understand that its just a game might get asked to pack up and move up to college athletics. Parents can only hinder their young person from going. The way for them to help is to love them, cheer for them, and then hand them over to the game.

If you are in college, it is still just a game. You aren’t paid. It is not your job. (I know, this is the topic for another piece!)  One percent of college athletes go pro at all, and usually not for long. ONE PERCENT. If you are a college coach, it is still about the young people. Prepare them for life in the majority. Give them skills to succeed in life, and off the field. That is why they are there. To be prepared for life away from the game is the focus. The game is just added value. Added and valued experiences and knowledge. The disciplines learned, the socialization, the maturity of hard work, time management, dating, social media exposure, diet, exercise, and mental health maturation are all learned here. This is the coronation. Celebrate it. Enjoy it. Understand that while the game may have been fuel for the journey, it is not the reason for the journey. Parents should be in release mode. Stand and applaud all that has been done, all that has been learned, and all that has been achieved. Coaches, deliver them into life with a smile. Enjoy your paycheck. Enjoy your exposure. Its still just a game.

Professionally, Its still just a game. While it is your job, it is not your life. Who you are is not what you do The game leaves you. The game ends. The crowd dwindles, and so does the payday. You resort back to your adolescent days. You have some goals still unfulfilled, and some reason to get out of bed daily. Athlete, player, coach, parent, or fan, it ultimately is a game that is taken way from you because it is just that. A game.

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.