YOU Matter

In honor of New Albany High School's 2014-15 theme "YOU Matter" I would like to share one of my most humbling moments in which I realized a very valuable lesson related to our theme.


About two months after being named head coach of the boys soccer team (at Gahanna), my two captains were struggling with nagging injuries that could lead to something more serious if not taken care of.  I promptly scheduled a meeting for them to meet with the athletic trainer.  I had never met her so when we came into the room, I introduced myself  and the players to her.  I wanted to make sure that she understood how valuable these two players were to the team so during the introductions, I made the comment that these are my two captains, were really good players, and we needed them for the start of the season.  She immediately quipped back to me, "Well they are all important coach."


It felt like she hit me with a ton of bricks.  I had not intended to be disrespectful toward my other players, but I was.  I am grateful that she had enough courage to be honest with me.

So just a friendly reminder: EVERYONE in your organization matters.  We need to treat every person as if they are the most important person.  Not just the person who can give you a raise.  Not just the person who can get you a discount.  Not just the person with the office/room right beside you.  Not just the person who you get along with the easiest.

At NAHS this year, we hope that this theme will resonate throughout.  YOU matter.

The Man in the Arena

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

- Theodore Roosevelt

Excerpt from the speech "Citizenship In A Republic"delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910