The Detroit Lions recently signed free-agent wide receiver
Golden Tate and before he even steps foot on the field he is a winner in my
book and a worthy role model and example for young athletes.
I was once told a by a sport psychologist that you have to
use the game or else it will use you. Sports can be brutal for developing young
athletes. They put pressure on themselves to perform at a level that is often
unrealistic where success and winning are the only safe haven from
self-criticism and negative thoughts. Sports are a great avenue for kids to
develop off-the field qualities such as dealing with setbacks and learning from
their mistakes. We can and should use sports to coach our kids to develop a
winning mental approach otherwise the games that they love can chew them up and
spit them out.
In short the take home message is young people can use
sports as a platform to improve their leadership qualities and to become
high-character citizens. Golden Tate is an outstanding example of this.
Tate played at Notre Dame and with the Seattle Seahawks, and
he’s worked closely with autistic children and children affected by cancer.
Tate said he plans to bring the same passion to Detroit. [1]
Tate won’t allow himself to be defined by the sport he plays
because he is actively shaping a career that represents more than his sport
skills. Long after his playing days are over Tate will have impacted countless
of lives with his off-field endeavors because of his desire to interact and
engage with people on a human level. Most of the folks that he meets along his
path will forget he is a football player but they will never forget his
generous spirit. The sport can get you in the door but your character will
ultimately determine the impact you have upon children’s lives. Make the sport
work for you and don’t allow it to work you over!
It should come as no surprise that as a young boy Tate even
as a young boy showed a propensity for helping anyone he could, in his own way.
“He really cared about people, his friends that wasn’t as
athletic as he was,” Tate’s father said. “He really tried to help them.”
I have seen this demonstrated in my youth group classes and
it is very powerful. When a more skilled young athlete takes the time to offer
a tip or word of encouragement to a less-skilled athlete it provides something
that a coach can never offer. When a less-skilled athlete receives this
encouragement from a peer it just lights up their self-esteem and motivates
them to try their best even if the task is challenging and they might fail.
When your young athletes create that kind of culture within the team setting it
will set the stage for special things can happen.
There are a few other interesting plot lines from Golden
Tate’s developmental years that are worth mentioning.
One of my core beliefs when it comes to youth athletic
development is early sport diversification. In other words, I strongly believe
that children should try as many different sport and activities as they possibly
can. This allows them to build a robust movement foundation that will then
allow them to excel at their sport of choice in the teen years when skill
development can be maximized. But not only does this early diversification make
them better athletes in the long-term it also provides them with a gift that
they can share for generations to come.
Tate had a very close relationship with his father and
Golden Tate Sr. use to punt and throw footballs to help his son practice his
catching. Tate Sr. was a very good athlete in his own right and because of that
he had the ability to spend time with his son. This is an often-overlooked
benefit of having a broad athletic foundation. It creates opportunities for
parents, siblings, aunts and uncles even grandparents to spend time with
children. What a shame it would be to farm out your child’s first experience
with a sport simply because you never developed the competency to effectively
demonstrate the basics. And this isn’t for the purpose of creating a star
athlete but rather it creates moments you can share with your children that
will endure for a lifetime.
It’s also interesting that Tate didn’t like to watch sports
on television. After a few minutes of watching it motivated him to go outside
and practice what he saw on TV. I think most young boys can relate to that at
some level. I used to watch Jerry Rice play football and then I would go out
and practice running routes and catching passes and pretending I was Michael
Jordan driving to the hoop to make a contested lay-up. [1]
Tate also played other sports to improve his football skills.
He tried baseball and became a sure-handed outfielder, learning how to judge
pop flies and throw balls on a crow hop.
If you have never heard of the crow hop it is a very advanced athletic
skill that is the compilation of several different abilities such as; timing,
rhythm, coordination and power. All of which are essential in every sport! [1]
Tate, the professional football player, was a good enough to
be selected in baseball’s amateur draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. [1]
Tate also spoke about the relationship he developed with his
high school football coach:
“He was the real first coach that I had that taught me a lot
of things on the football field,” Tate said. “But more so he kind of helped me
be a high-character man. He taught me how to be great on the football field,
but also to be just as good in the classroom and in the community.” [1]
As a coach this is a powerful reminder that out role in the
lives of our students/athletes is deeper than getting the most out their
athletic talents it is also about helping them develop as champions in the
class room and in the community.
In conclusion, before Golden Tate even steps on the field he
is champion in the game of life and Detroit fans are fortunate to have a man of
such high character representing their team and city.
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