In all of the joy I have had in helping put the Seahawk’s seasoning into a student’s program and then watching how that student was able to touch the heart of a real Seahawk, I have had to fight one deeply rooted conflict. Since the age of six, I have been a die hard Denver Broncos fan. And while this might be a mere distraction any other season, fate would have it that this past season these were the two combatants for the Lombardy trophy. It was supposed to be a battle of the ages, and instead it was a battle of ages as the young Seahawks destroyed my old beloved Broncos on football’s biggest stage.
They same time heals all wounds, but I say not if you bleed to death in the process. And that is what I did, I immaturely mourned the loss like the loss of a pet for weeks. But I awoke on the other side with a realization that many wives wish for their spouses. I realized that there was a world of work and change that could be had out there, and if I would just put a fraction of my passion that I put into wishing my team to win, I could effect a great deal of change for the better.
It is the sport’s fan whose energy in cohesion with the thousands of other fans within a stadium that can create a statistical impact on a game. And while that impact is real and passionate, to the point where it is stated that it puts a “12th man” on the field here in Seattle, I ask why settle for being 12? Why even settle for being a 6th man? How about being #1 and making an incredible impact?
In education, everyday kids walk through the door who are not looking for the 12th man, they are looking for the 1st man, they are looking for the one, maybe the only one, who can help them get a few yards ahead in the game of life. And while a common interest in a team might get a conversation going, it’s the common interest in the learner that will advance them in skills. And that they will so long as there is a strong educator to coach with a supporting cast in the stands.
I will always love my Broncos, but the Seattle Seahawk helped extinguish my flame of relentless hoping and fierce t.v. staring, and I found that the players left standing that really mattered were those that have been standing right in front of me everyday. The Seahawks inadvertently have helped me say when it comes to kids, “I’m all in!” I cancelled cable (no joke), and I committed to excellence for students by creating what is excellent for staff: easy to use tools and the inspiration to endure. While “Light It Up!” and The Ultimate Access Card have been going great from the start, the best is yet to come. Stay tuned!