SPORTS AND LIFE: Lessons to Be Learned - a football quarterback discusses sports

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 1999 by Jeff Kemp

Winning is important. I never would disparage it. Still, doesn't it feel good to have someone to hug you, whether you have won or lost--to value you for your relationship, not just your performance?

Leadership

Sports, and quarterbacking in particular, provide invaluable lessons in leadership that are applicable to everyone, in all situations. A leader is not defined solely by his or her position. Everyone is a leader. Even backup quarterbacks. In life, most of us will spend a fair amount of time on the bench, but that doesn't mean we aren't in the game. We constantly are influencing and shaping the lives of countless people.

We don't have to be first-stringers to have an impact. I wasn't Joe Montana. I wasn't Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, either. Nonetheless, there were things I could do to help my team and teammates. I could be a role model of preparation and commitment, inspiring others to their best effort. When a young player confided that he had marital problems, I could share what I learned from the Bible about commitment and spiritual comfort in times of trouble. When a rookie was scared to death that he was going to get cut, I could give him encouragement: "Hey, I saw how well you ran today. You have a good chance!" As my wife Stacy pointed out, focusing on encouraging others also kept my mind off the stress of surviving each summer's roster cuts.

For instance, there was the punter who once fouled up so badly that our team lost two yards. The coaches were screaming epithets at him. I said to myself, "This is the only punter we've got! He may have to go back into the game, and I want him to do well." I walked up to him and said, "It's okay, man. You'll get it right next time." I spoke too loudly, and one of the coaches started hollering at me. Still, some of the heat had been deflected from the punter.

Gary Kubiak, the quarterback coach for the Broncos, was the backup to Elway for many years. Kubiak rarely got to play, but today he is one of the smartest and most respected assistant coaches in the business. That's because he has a leadership mentality. He has said, "Everyone has an influence on some other person. You must always assume that your actions will influence another." No wonder Kubiak helped the Broncos become 1998 and 1999 Super Bowl champions. Every person's leadership counts, and the best leaders model, serve, and inspire.

Vision, not sight, is what makes people truly see. The deaf and blind lecturer Helen Keller once was asked, "Is there anything worse than not having your sight?" She responded earnestly, "Oh yes, it would be much worse to have your sight, but not to have vision." Think of all the opportunities and responsibilities that are lost today because we are so busy looking at what is two feet in front of us.

Vision has allowed me to throw footballs when I could not see the receiver. Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, I threw one to tight end Keith Jackson just before a blitzing pass rusher knocked me off my feet. I couldn't see Jackson and he couldn't see me, but we each knew what to do. We had visualized what our responses would be in that kind of situation many times before. Jackson was right where I envisioned. He caught my blind pass and ran for a touchdown.