This time of year is always a period of deep reflection for me and this year, it feels deeper, heavier, and more significant. There isn’t a person in the world that’s not impacted by this global pandemic and all of us are experiencing our own personal wins and losses.
I’ve been reflecting on personal role models, their impact on me, and how I apply their lessons as I navigate mid-life with a young family.
One of those was role models was wrestling Coach Ray Barron. He wasn’t just one of mine, he positively impacted thousands of young men and women. We lost Coach in late October, and over the past few months, I have been reminded of the impact he had on his family, along with all the men (and women) across generations of 50 years of coaching.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about the lessons that I learned from Coach on and off the wrestling mat in an attempt to ensure that I am still living up as one of ‘Barron’s Boys’.
Showing UP
- Be confident while maintaining humility
- You can do it, but you have to believe in yourself first
- Be willing to put in the work
- Respect everyone. Parents, coaches, teammates, teachers, and your opponent
- Your conduct is a reflection of the entire team (or family)
- No one person is bigger than the sport (or any organization you take part in)
- You are ultimately measured by your heart, not your trophies
- Play to your strengths
- Challenge yourself, but don’t beat yourself up
- Dig deeper, you will find even more than you realized was there
Winning and losing
- Win with class and lose with class
- There is no better feeling than when you know you gave it your best
- You always shake hands with your opponent
- You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control how you respond
- You can be upset you lost, but you can’t be a sore sport
- Never blame the referees
- The process matters more than the outcome
Being a Teammate
- True companionship lasts forever
- Celebrate others success and catch them if they fall
- Inclusivity is natural when you sweat together for a common goal
- You learn a lot about yourself carrying someone else up a flight of stairs or through other life challenges
- Seasons are short, but memories carry on
- Seize the opportunity to connect in meaningful ways
- Embrace growing together, you will never regret it
I’m sure there are so many additional lessons that others took away from their time with Coach. At the end of the day, when I look back at Coach Barron’s legacy, I think it is very simple. That he just cared.
Coach set up young men (and women) for success no matter where they were in their journey. He had a knack for identifying the kid that could use some confidence just by being part of the program. He helped the most talented reach their full potential to compete for championships. He could also humble those that needed it and transform them in the most positive way.
At the banquet at the end of the season, the seniors would gather at the front of the auditorium. We called it senior goodbyes. He would say some final words about each wrestler and he could never make it through the speeches without shedding tears. He had invested so much time into us as young men and his return on investment was our growth and character that we took into adulthood.
Now that our girls have entered school-aged years, I can see how important it is to consistently pass on all of those lessons that I mentioned above. It’s not always easy and it takes significant commitment. How do I model it, teach it, and celebrate it?
But what if I asked myself each morning, “Am I the man that I was coached to be?” Maybe that’s the right tactic going forward to help me reach my potential. I believe answering that question will shape my everyday intentions, decisions, and actions. Then I can take comfort in being content with the consequences and outcomes that fall into place.
You can read more awesome stories about Coach Barron, learn more about his impact, and support the scholarship in his name at the Ray Barron Strength and Honor Fund.