The title of today's blog, that line....can you name the movie? I'll let you think about it for a few minutes while I discuss these four words. In this movie this line changes the whole outcome of the movie. I think maybe if it had not been said a part of history would have not existed. Now do I know if those exact words were said. I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had been along those lines. You see in this time period in which this movie takes place.....not everyone was accepted. Two groups of young men were to come together when in fact they had never interacted with the other It was almost as if it was against the law and frowned upon. Do you know the movie yet? How about these hints: football, the 1960s, and Denzel Washington. Now can you guess..... It is Remember the Titans.
I am sure the majority of you have seen this movie. It is one of my favorites. Not just because it is about sports, but because it is based on a true story. A story that if it had not taken place it would have set us even further back than what our country already was at the time. And who knows what it would be like today if I had not taken place. In this country...or this world...we do not have time to fight about the color of another's skin. To think that a group teenage boys could come together in the matter of weeks. That had always been told that the "other" was wrong and that they could do better without a relationship with them....was completely the wrong advice those parents could have given. Where in that situation the parents are the captain and their attitude is reflected upon the child. Which eventually is passed onto them and that's how they will treat "those" people as they get older. In fact that is how both "sets" treated each other at the beginning. Two schools migrated into one which forced whites and blacks to come together. This was very rare at this time in our history especially in the south.
This line takes place during which the coach made it a priority for every white and black player to get to know each other....every single one of them. Three a days were going to continue until this took place. Gary who seems to be the captain of the whites and plays the same position of the blacks captain - Julius....finally break down to get facts straight about each other. Gary tells Julius how he is good but could be so much better etc. They share words....and then Julius says "Attitude reflects leadership captain." Powerful.
We all know the ended of the movie. You might be asking why I am writing about this. Well I think this line makes sense in our world today. Our leadership along all different lines: parents, bosses, coaches etc. Their attitudes are reflected on us and without realizing or trying we will act like that too. People that are in high positions seem to be blinded on how much they impact others with their actions or lack of. So if you are a coach, parent, or coach keep in mind the words and actions are picked up by the closest to you...and they too will carry that attitude. Just like in Remember the Titans the boys didn't like the other race because they were told not to and because of how their parents spoke about the other. In their minds that is how they thought it was suppose to be and if that trait had not been broken the separation between black and white would be even further apart than what it is now.
Within the last year I am reminded of this line at least once a day. One because I am a coach I do try to set the best example for my girls. I know that they look up to me and will carry the same attitude I do because they are impressionable. Also, I am a working citizen......I don't always see the best attitudes. This is true for many of us. All I can say is YOU be the captain and have YOUR leadership reflect back to the captain....make it positive and radiant. Sometimes captains are wrong.
#leadership
Very well said
ReplyDeletethank you!
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