July 1, 2020
I remember piling into the little room under the stadium at halftime. We’d be behind and felt like every eye on the home side was glaring at us. We sat down, tired, sweaty and dirty, waiting for for butt-chewing that was to come. Cokes would be handed out and we could hear the muted sounds of the band. (Side note, I enjoyed it when my son was in the band — I got to see halftime shows!) The coaches would then talk to us, chew us out if we needed it and then give us a pep talk. Then they’d make adjustments for the second half. Then we charged back out onto the field with a new sense of purpose.
We won a lot of those games which speaks highly of both the coaches and my teammates. There wasn’t a lot of quit in the Class of 1986 — something that has been proven over the past 34 years in our post-football lives.
Since then, I’ve been fascinated with one specific aspect of football — making halftime adjustments. Some coaches are brilliant at it. Some? Well not so much. But the point is, the game lasts four quarters and the team who adjusts and plays with heart can come back and win.
A couple things are required, though. You can’t live in the first half. Second, is that you have to have the conditioning to be able to have the strength to change and fight on.
Today is halftime. 2020 is halfway over and we are about to head out onto the field. I wrote about this yesterday and I will say it again — I feel like I’ve had my butt kicked. I know you probably feel the same way, too. What we are experiencing is hard. It is OK to say that. But we all have it in us to not only survive the challenges that are being thrown at us but soar. So take a moment today and reflect on this year so far. What has gone right and what has gone wrong? Take inventory of your health, your bank account and your job. Look around at your relationships and your support system. Write down on a piece of paper the primary threats you face and the opportunities that are out there for you.
It’s time to charge back out onto the field. 2020 is tough foe — one of the toughest we’ve experienced in years. But by the time the clock counts down to 2021, we will be victorious.
Count on it.