The Impact of an Encourager

"When I look for basketball players, I look for impact players-somebody that will make an impact in our program. I want to challenge each of you to be an impact person in your life," Bethel College basketball coach Mike Lightfoot said to a gym full of athletes at the 2007 Sports Fest in Mishawaka, IN.

What kind of person is that?

Impact is defined as "the power of making a strong, immediate impression; to have an effect or impact." Add encourage to the mix, which means "to inspire with hope, courage, or confidence; to give support to; to stimulate" and you have a powerful person that any coach or boss would want on their team.

An encourager that impacts is a person that makes others look good around them, gives 100% effort, never gives up when the going gets tough, learns from failures, keeps going, supports team effort, knows when to be quiet, lets someone else get the glory, thinks of others first and has developed a hundred other positive traits. It is challenging, but the impact will make a difference forever.

The world needs people that know how to impact/encourage others to do their best and thus leave a lasting legacy that outlives themselves. Something that only they are remembered for.

"Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize." Elizabeth Harrison

"If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow, the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance beyond our wildest dreams." Sidney Madwed

For more on how to impact and encourage others see How to encourage

Encouragement in Sports

"Welcome to Indiana basketball." Hoops history was made in northern Indiana over the weekend by a small township school off US 30.

This should come as no surprise from the state that spawned the most famous and encouraging sports movie in history, 'Hoosiers,' detailing the run of the 'Milan Miracle' in 1954. That school had an enrollment of 161 students, Oregon Davis has 246 students; but what happened to both schools was similar Saturday night at the high school state finals in Indianapolis.

Oregon Davis became the first high school to win both the 1-A girls and boys championship in the same year. Four other schools previously had teams in both state finals, but none had won. In a state where basketball is beloved, where coach Bobby Knight ruled for a spell, that is a prized endeavor.

"I'm not an oddsmaker, but I gotta think the odds aren't good for such a small school to make this sort of history," said IHSAA assistant commissioner Ray Craft. "Having a community pull together for its young people is amazing and truly unique," IHSAA commissioner Blake Ress said.

Do you want to know what is even more amazing? Four years ago, when my son(from Bremen) played against the OD Bobcats, I was actually rooting for and feeling sorry for that team. They had the longest losing streak in the state. That group of boys had never won a game throughout their entire basketball careers. You could see it in their depresssed demeanor on and off the court. They were discouraged...my heart went out to them.

However, a younger group of guys did not let defeat define their school reputation. They began to look forward not back and did the next thing to prepare to change that losing legacy. They learned from the previous losses and then let that fuel the passion to perform better the next year and year after. Same coach but a different attitude. Their work took winning to a whole new level.

Congratulations to coach Travis Hannah and OD community for not giving up on the school and the team. Congratulations to the many individuals, too numerous to name, who believed and had a part in the process to encourage the kids to work hard and stay in the competition.

It does make a difference in athletics and the game of life to have people behind the scenes who believe in you and help you reach your goals. Let that be a lesson to all of us. And as they say, the rest is Indiana basketball history!

How to Turn Discouragement to Encouragement

See below articles on turning discouragement to encouragement...

P.S. One last step to learning to encourage yourself and others. 5) Enjoy the experience along the way. You may never reach your goal, but that doesn’t mean you ditch the climb or diminish the dream. Character is forged in the fiery furnace of never giving up. After getting to the volleyball state finals her senior year, my daughter’s team lost the final match. But they were the only Bremen High School girls’ team to get that far and made so many wonderful memories during their championship run. The Air Force Falcons basketball team lost the first game of the conference championship and did not get a bid to the NCAA tournament. But they did get a #1 seed in the NIT, hopefully playing at Clune Arena several more times this week. Only one team can come out on top, but no one ever loses if they learn to turn discouragement to encouragement and enjoy the experience along the way.

Steps to Turn Discouragement into Encouragement

We’ve all heard the words, ‘into every life some rain must fall. It’s not if discouragement comes, its when.’ But what happens when a sought after goal turns sour, when the loss is so painful it’s hard to recover in a day?

“Successful people become discouraged only momentarily." These words were spoken by coach Jeff Bzdelik after his Air Force Academy Falcon BB team lost their 1st home game in 30 tries, second longest streak in the country. It was the last home game of the season, senior night—parents of players came from all parts of the country. Excitement was running high and Clune Arena was pulsating with energy. Basketball games at the United States Air Force Academy represent release in an otherwise intense training schedule.

But victory was denied these future military leaders and the agony of defeat lingered. Coach’s words soothed a little. “In all my years at the college and NBA level, I have never had more respect for the character and integrity of a team.” Still the dull ache remained the morning after.
What can successful people do to deal with discouragement momentarily and get back in the game?
Here are several simple rules to remember to encourage yourself and others.

1) Look forward not back and do the next thing to prepare. It sounds simple but is powerful. For the Air Force Falcons basketball team, The Mountain West Conference tournament begins this week and if they want to get to the big dance, their focus has to be firmly grounded on that goal. The team/individual can acknowledge the pain, learn from the loss and then let that fuel the passion to perform better next time. My husband’s famous speech to our children, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You know what you are made of inside by the way you get up and get better after the fall. And it’s not if you fall-it’s when.’ The day after any loss, do the next thing. Take a deep breath, then go to practice, hit the books,make that phone call and try, try again.

2) Listen to and learn from encouraging words spoken. What coach said about the team and each individual player was heartwarming, gentle and kind, the right words after such a loss. Tomorrow, there will be time for inspiring and motivating speeches. Today, the words were soothing and complimentary. Positive well timed words have power to make one want to continue on, to get up and try again. Although they will never forget that game, the team's disappointment will lessen with time and other struggles life brings will take its place.

3) Prioritize your performance in the big picture. Live with the end in view and know where you are going and what matters to you. It hurts to lose the game, the job, promotion, relationship—and depending on the loss, it may take days or weeks to work through. Your perspective now shapes the path you will choose for your future. But for successful healthy people it’s only a momentary disruption. How long you let the setback derail you and to what degree depends on your world view, your big picture. For this particular group of future Air Force leaders, there will be bigger battles to fight with larger consequences.

4) Learn life lessons in losing and let the rest go. Bad things happen to good kids and good teams. Down the road the team will be grateful for the discipline, accountability and structure they learn at the Academy. The same goes for the individual. I hugged my son, Wing Commander at the Academy and said, ‘Son, you have a lot of responsibility in your life, but the team winning or losing was not yours. They will deal with it on their own terms.’ 'I know' he said, 'but they are my friends, a great group of guys and they deserved to win.' The warmth and feeling in his words comforted me also.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said it this way, “ What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

How to Turn Discouragement into Encouragement

“Successful people become discouraged only momentarily." These words were spoken by coach Jeff Bzdelik after his Air Force Academy Falcon BB team lost their 1st home game in 30 tries, second longest streak in the country. It was the last home game of the season, senior night—parents of players came from all parts of the country. Excitement was running high and Clune Arena was pulsating with energy. Basketball games at the United States Air Force Academy represent release in an otherwise intense training schedule.

The basketball team struggled to get home from weekend games in Texas due to weather related plane problems. They returned Monday eve, not able to have a full practice before Tuesday’s game and two players had been in the hospital for flu dehydration. After being up 11 points at the 10 minute mark, the team did not make a basket the last 5 minutes. They lost to BYU, Mountain West Conference Champs, by 4 points.

Disappointment was rampant; the senior night celebration dampened if not doused by defeat. One senior player in particular could not hold his head up during the after game recognition moments. My son, hoarse from yelling for his fellow cadet classmates, shed tears and said this team was special. This group deserved to win; best record in AFA history, conference champs last year, sold out home games, not to mention terrific team spirit and individual intensity.

But they didn’t and misery multiplied.

Coach’s words soothed a little. “In all my years at the college and NBA level, I have never had more respect for the character and integrity of a team.” But the dull ache remained the morning after.

What can successful people do to deal with discouragement momentarily and get back in the game?
Here are several simple rules to remember to encourage yourself and others.

1) Look forward not back and do the next thing to prepare. It sounds simple but is powerful. For the Air Force Falcons basketball team The Mountain West Conference tournament begins next week and if they want to get to the big dance, their focus has to be firmly grounded on that goal. The team/individual can acknowledge the pain, learn from the loss and then let that fuel the passion to perform better next time. My husband’s famous speech to our children, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You know what you are made of inside by the way you get up and get better after the fall. And it’s not if you fall-it’s when.’ The day after any loss, do the next thing. Take a deep breath, then go to practice, hit the books, make that phone call and try again.

2) Listen to and learn from encouraging words spoken. What coach said about the team and each individual player was heartwarming, gentle and kind, the right words after such a loss. Tomorrow, there will be time for inspiring and motivating speeches. Today, the words were soothing and complimentary. Although they will never forget that game, their disappointment will lessen with time and other struggles life inevitably brings will take its place. "Positive well timed words have power to make one want to continue on, to uplift or do inspiring acts."
See more on encouraging words in howtoencourage.com.

Encouragement for Sports Fans

What encouragement for fans to see two really nice coaches getting some great press and one winning the Super Bowl this past week. In an era where statistics state 40% of professional sports players are convicted felons, to hear there were no scandals of any players in the Super Bowl, is rare and refreshing. To listen to them articulate "team and coach" with respect, and even speak of helping out with others' misfortunes is inspiring to say the least.

Michael Rosenberg on FOXSports.com says this about Colts coach Tony Dungy, "This is a man who treats players with respect without coddling them; who does not talk down to anybody; who understands that he is lucky to coach a game for a living... Dungy should be proud. The conventional wisdom in sports is that if a coach is too nice, he will lose his team — and in the NFL, the perception is that a coach will lose two games for every time he smiles. But Dungy has shown that a coach can be unfailingly polite and still hold his players accountable." A coach who knows that the right words do indeed make a difference--even make champions.

Finally, role models who understand that to 'whom much is given, much will be required,' and living up to that challenge. Players who stand tall in real life as they do on the field, who live with convictions, deliver with determination and give gratitude to those who had a part in the process.

How encouraging for all of us to watch. Nice guys can make headlines too!