NAF Speaker Series
Northside Athletes Foundation Hosts 2nd Annual Character Development
Speaker Event
|
Photo by Ken Rada
To view & purchase other photos, visit
kenrada.com
and enter 'NAF' under private galleries. |
Mark Richt, head football coach at the University of Georgia,
captured the attention of Atlanta parents, teachers, coaches and
students with his inspiring lecture on character development at Holy
Innocents Episcopal School on May 22nd. Recalling his adolescent and
young adult years growing up in the world of football, Coach Richt
underscored the importance of developing and maintaining a set of values
in order to be successful in life.
Taking the lectern after being introduced by former UGA star offensive
lineman Bartley Miller, Coach Richt gave an engaging account of his life
in the world of football and his early influences--including his dad and
Coach Bowden from Florida State. Richt told the story of how since he
was a boy, he had wanted to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He had
athletic ability and a strong motivation to succeed; however, through a
series of circumstances and coincidences, he was constantly thwarted
from that goal. First he went up against Jim Kelly at the University of
Miami; then in Denver he ran into another strong competitor, John Elway.
Continuing the pursuit of his goal, Richt pursued a career with the
Miami Dolphins and found himself face to face with Dan Marino. Through
all these trials and tribulations, Richt never gave up. The man who
finally inspired him to go into coaching was Miami Dolphins Coach Don
Shula, who Richt said personified a man of true character.
Richt’s philosophy of coaching is this:
- handle all responsibilities with excellence
- hire good men and give them authority along with responsibility
- dedicate yourself to assisting players in reaching their full
potential—in the classroom, on the field and in society
Coach Richt underscored how important it is for coaches to help
athletes develop more than just their bodies—in fact, in Richt’s
opinion, the number one thing is to encourage the development of a
person’s spiritual life. He remarked how this spiritual journey is
by its very nature a voluntary commitment, but one that is supremely
important to a person’s success. The mind and the body are critical
parts of the plan too, but in the end they take a back seat to
spirit.
Coach Bobby Bowden was one of Richt’s earliest mentors. Bowden
taught Richt three things about coaching and sports:
- Team loyalty
- If you can’t take criticism get out of coaching
- You can’t break the rules just because its convenient.
Richt decided he would live by these rules in addition to one
other: put your faith in God. Through following this philosophy,
Richt has made it to the top of his profession. He believes that
everyone can achieve great things if they decide to follow a
path of good character and commitment themselves to a higher
power.
Other highlights of the evening included a rousing rendition of
the national anthem by Holy Innocents Episcopal 9th grader Sara
Eckman and an outdoor barbecue cook out provided by Jocks and
Jills of Atlanta.
Coach Richt’s parting advice to the audience was this: Be a
great example of what you’re trying to teach. The true test of
character is what we do when no one is watching.
The Northside Athletes Foundation is a 501 c-3 charitable
organization based in Atlanta, Georgia whose mission is youth
and character development through sports.
|
|
