If there's a model of how we should live our lives, we need look no further than Dean Smith-Ford
Everyone who knows me knows I love Carolina basketball. During the months of February, March & April if you cut me I would bleed Carolina blue. In fact during my interview for my current position as Minister of Students one of my questions to the committee was the ratio of Carolina to Wake Forest fans in the church. I am outnumbered (lots of sinners in the church). This weekend I was following on Twitter the public funeral for UNC basketball's former head coach Dean Smith. I have read countless articles about Dean Smith's life and legacy and have been enamored by his love for the Lord, his service to his community and using college basketball as a tool to train young men.
One of the stories about Dean Smith which has stood out to me is the story of Smith giving his 1982 championship watch to team manager Dave Hart. Allow me to recap the story as it is recorded on Carolina's I-phone app. "The NCAA provided 22 watches, and Hart was the 23rd man on the team, but Smith wanted the manager to make sure he knew he was valued. Hearing it second-hand is remarkable. But hearing Hart retell it over 30 years later, with still the same amount of incredulity that the coach summoned him the day after the championship game to give him the watch, was even more meaningful." Really: would you give away your championship watch, the one people said you could never win? Dean Smith did, and it took him less than 24 hours. Even after reading that story and now retyping it I still have tears in my eyes. His first championship watch, one people said he would never win and it ONLY took him 24 hours until he gave it up. What an amazing story!
The story of Dean Smith giving up his first championship watch is incredibly moving because he models for us a characteristic absent for many leaders today. This characteristic is one of servant leadership. Dean Smith taught his players and teaches us the need to serve and appreciate others. We should take time everyday to thank those who serve us. We should be people who live lives filled with an attitude of gratitude. It is human nature to look out for number one and only befriend those who can help us; as Christians we have been given a new nature and because of our new nature have within us the ability to look out not only for are own interests but also the interests of others. We should take time everyday to serve and express gratitude to others. We are nothing but a turtle on a fence post. We arrived at the place we are in life because of the sacrifice of many people. We must take time everyday to thank them.
In conclusion, the last speaker at the funeral was the current head coach for the Tar Heels, Roy Williams. Coach Williams fittingly ended the funeral by asking the crowd to point to the sky to thank Smith for all his work at UNC. It was a fitting tribute to a man who taught and is teaching all of us to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude.
One of the stories about Dean Smith which has stood out to me is the story of Smith giving his 1982 championship watch to team manager Dave Hart. Allow me to recap the story as it is recorded on Carolina's I-phone app. "The NCAA provided 22 watches, and Hart was the 23rd man on the team, but Smith wanted the manager to make sure he knew he was valued. Hearing it second-hand is remarkable. But hearing Hart retell it over 30 years later, with still the same amount of incredulity that the coach summoned him the day after the championship game to give him the watch, was even more meaningful." Really: would you give away your championship watch, the one people said you could never win? Dean Smith did, and it took him less than 24 hours. Even after reading that story and now retyping it I still have tears in my eyes. His first championship watch, one people said he would never win and it ONLY took him 24 hours until he gave it up. What an amazing story!
The story of Dean Smith giving up his first championship watch is incredibly moving because he models for us a characteristic absent for many leaders today. This characteristic is one of servant leadership. Dean Smith taught his players and teaches us the need to serve and appreciate others. We should take time everyday to thank those who serve us. We should be people who live lives filled with an attitude of gratitude. It is human nature to look out for number one and only befriend those who can help us; as Christians we have been given a new nature and because of our new nature have within us the ability to look out not only for are own interests but also the interests of others. We should take time everyday to serve and express gratitude to others. We are nothing but a turtle on a fence post. We arrived at the place we are in life because of the sacrifice of many people. We must take time everyday to thank them.
In conclusion, the last speaker at the funeral was the current head coach for the Tar Heels, Roy Williams. Coach Williams fittingly ended the funeral by asking the crowd to point to the sky to thank Smith for all his work at UNC. It was a fitting tribute to a man who taught and is teaching all of us to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude.
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