Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

I always knew I was lucky, but boy do I have a lot for which to be grateful – that the time my father and I spent together shooting hoops or having a catch was not only special (as the following certainly is), but it was also bit more productive:

In addition to the basic sporting life skills learned from my father, I discovered the importance of presence, support, hard work and forgiveness.  While presence, support and hard work are important and worthy of their own articles, they are also self-explanatory.  Forgiveness, however, plays just as important a role as the others and it is not an easy life skill to learn or execute.

The need for forgiveness in sport goes beyond the need for a forgiving basketball rim or golf course hole to assist in our point scoring.  Forgiveness is a requirement of any single athlete or team who wants a chance to play to their potential; the opportunities to ask for forgiveness and to forgive are boundless in the pursuit of competition.

Think about your responses to the actions of others:

• When a teammate breaks a team rule and the team has to “pay the consequences”
• When a teammate calls you out during a drill, which is either warranted or unwarranted
• How about when an official makes a horrific call
• Or if a coach makes a decision with which you don’t agree or understand
• When a teammate acts out or has a difficult time with you “taking their spot” – or when a teammate earns “your spot”
• What happens when someone’s pride has manifested into unproductive actions?

What about the times when you are in need of forgiveness for your actions?  Put yourself in the shoes of those above.  What if your actions or words were well intended but poorly executed and misunderstood due to your own frustrations and passion?

In addition to seeking forgiveness of others, what about forgiving yourself?

• Maybe you missed the last opportunity to score, in overtime, in the Championship game
• Or, think about the times have you have mentally checked out and not left everything at the door before practice or a game
• When have you taken yourself mentally out of the game because you are so focused on your own mistakes that you allow a self-focused downward lens?
• What do you do when you have received forgiveness from a coach or a teammate, but you can’t forgive yourself?

If we don’t seek forgiveness and if we don’t offer forgiveness, we won’t get very far on our own or as a team.  Forgiveness is the only way you and your teammates or coaching staff can move on repaired, instead of replaying on a pot-hole laden surface.

Remember the lessons learned from your father during your own special times together.  Reach out to communicate with your teammates, coaches, athletes in a respectful and productive manner to seek and to offer forgiveness.  Forgiveness offers a saving grace on both sides – find that peace so you can continue forward.