Imagine a football game where the coach asks part of the cheerleading squad and parents to intentionally cheer for the opposing team. That is exactly what Coach Kris Hogan did for the game the 2007 state finalist Faith Lions played against Gainesville State School, a correctional facility for teens.
“When I found out we would be playing Gainesville State, I started thinking about the fact that many of these guys had convictions for drugs, assault and robbery,” said Coach Hogan. “Many of their families had disowned them. Then I thought about what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in them as individuals and as a team. That’s when I decided we were going to do something different.”
The impact was life changing….on both sides of the field. The Gainesville team couldn’t believe people who had kids playing on the Faith Christian team were actually cheering for the opposition. After the game, as the Gainesville coach left the field, he looked at Coach Hogan and said, “You will never know what you have done for these boys.” As the Lions walked to the locker room they realized that Coach was right: life is about living for a purpose bigger than yourself.
“Our philosophy at Faith Christian is to develop and graduate authentic Christian leaders,” said Coach Hogan. “As the head football coach, I believe it is my job to teach these testosterone driven athletes the true definition of a man. The culture tells them that it’s all about how much money you make, your usual conquests and what you do for a living. We teach them that the definition of a man comes in terms of relationships. At the end of the day it comes down to what kind of a friend, teammate, son, and brother you are and how you treat those who are in opposition to you.”
Coach Hogan admits that teaching the concept that the capacity to love and be loved is critically important to the development of one’s manhood is pretty tough for a 17 or 18-year-old with bulging pecks to swallow.
“I have the leaders and influencers of the school on the football team,” said Coach Hogan. “I remind them that men build up society and little boys tear it down. We make it a point to model and teach servant leadership. I remind the team that if all you are about is you, you are going to have a pretty shallow and ineffective platform. There are no lone rangers in this world. Our entire team has to work together in order for one person to make a touchdown. One guy gets credit for scoring, but it took the entire team to make it happen.”
Coach Hogan believes that as the football team goes, so goes the school.
“I tell them it is your job to protect the teacher who is being disrespected by another student and to make certain that no one is being bullied on your watch,” said Coach Hogan. “I remind them that how they treat people is the real definition of their masculinity. A real man accepts responsibility and absolutely does not pass the buck. He has the courage to lead, which means you are out there alone a lot.”
In an effort to encourage leadership and tackle things like gossip, disrespect and other qualities unbecoming of a leader, Coach Hogan started Open Floor Thursdays. This is a confidential time where the guys can be transparent, talk about whatever is going on in their lives or share an encouraging quote to build up the team in preparation for the next day’s game.
“I will never forget the day that one of the players, who is a big guy, stood up, put his hands on his hips and stared straight down at the ground trying to gain his composure,” said Coach Hogan. “After about 30 seconds tears were coming out of his eyes and rolling down his face, hitting the floor. After what seemed like an eternity of silence he said, ‘Last night my dad left our house for good.’ There are very few places on planet earth where 17-year-old guys will weep. No one said anything, but they all got up and went to where he was and stood with him. It just doesn’t happen like this with teen boys. This is all part of learning what it means to be a real man.
The Lions lost in the second round of playoffs this year, but as one team member put it, that is not what is really important. “Coach Hogan has instilled in us from the beginning that life is about relationships, not winning football games.” The player went on to say “Coach…. I do not think I can ever repay the many lessons you have taught me nor give back the time that you have invested within me. I hope one day to be the man of God you are and to be the husband and father you are to your family.”
Copyright ©2010 First Things First
