It happened, we lost! Holy Cow, 10-12, we lost to a school we beat 55-0 last year. In the infinite wisdom of our Heritage Christian school administration and consultation with the head football coach, they scheduled a “cake” opponent for Homecoming this year.
What they didn’t consider is that much changed over at Covenant Christian. They only graduated one senior from the team we shellacked the year before, while we graduated most of our starters.
It was a perfect night. A clear cool midwestern sky with Fed-Ex planes descending from east to west across the new turf, a gift from St. Vincent’s Sports Medicine. Why not? St. Vs pays for the turf, and we send a slew of athletes to St. V’s all year long for help with their injuries. The field is a source of business for the hospital. I think a weight loss center should sponsor McDonald’s in the same fashion.
Heritage Blue LED lights lit up the gym, courtesy of ECO Lighting Solutions. Ruth’s Chris sold sliders for a fair price beside the blow-ups entertaining future Heritage Christian Eagles. A carnival atmosphere abounded.
We lost. But it’s really all about perspective. We lost the game, but won the night. The event was marvelous. As ridiculous as it sounds, I was happy for Covenant. They had never beaten us, and we were sincerely happy for them. We are in a rebuilding year and we really were happy to help build a strong opponent to challenge in the future. The 55-0 win was not as rewarding as the 10-12 loss. It really was a victory for the future.
We all go through challenges in our personal and business life. It takes a mature person who does not overreact, to calmly see the win in a situation that the world says is a loss. Today, take the time to see how we can be better from our losses.
Heritage is a small 2A school in Indianapolis. We aren’t flush with money. We have struggles like any other school, but it is an oasis. It’s a place where I can go to coach, cheer on kids, support teachers, and even give an annual lesson on Betsy Ross (who happens to be my 5th Great Grandmother – seriously).
We don’t recruit for sports at Heritage, we can’t afford to. But, better than recruiting is to create an environment that draws the best. We are a school of overachievers. In lacrosse, where I coached for six years, we are a perennial top eight in the state. This is a no-class sport, so that means little 2A Heritage plays 6A schools. What is amazing is seeing kids that we developed go on to bigger schools to win state championships. Yes, it is frustrating because, if they would just stay, we could be the place of lacrosse championships. The culture isn’t quite there yet.
In your business, are you keeping the talent at home or are you sending champions to your competition where they end up winning the projects and the ultimate business championships? What can you do to keep the business athletes on your turf?
Where Heritage DOES win big is in women’s basketball. Heritage is often recognized as a top 10 nationally ranked team. While basketball is a class sport, Heritage competes in a higher class to allow fair competition below them. Few high schools retire jerseys, Heritage retires jerseys in women’s basketball.
Kelly Farris of UConn fame won four state and three national championships in her high school and college years. Kelly now plays in the WNBA. South Carolina had a Heritage grad on its 2016 national championship team and Notre Dame had a new Heritage freshman on its 2017 national championship team.
One would never believe that the little engine that could, Heritage Christian High School, a small 2A school in Indianapolis, would be the top producing school in the nation for national champions in women’s basketball. It’s really all in what you believe.
David, the most unlikely person to challenge Goliath stepped past the stronger, older, seasoned, and trained warriors to slay the enemy with a toy slingshot and a well-chosen stone. Rather than succumb to paralyzing fear, David faced his enemy eye to eye and won the day.
What giant is in your way today? Excuse me while I take on the world. I have stuff to get done.
