GROW: Game Ready

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Issue #99 - August 26

Welcome!

Hey G-Tribe! For newcomers, welcome to our GROW Tribe - a community united by Guidance that Redefines Our Way. We believe true strength comes from lifting each other while building something that lasts.

Can you believe we're almost at our 100th newsletter? Issue #100 drops in September, and we're planning something special to celebrate this milestone with the community that's made this journey possible.

I was recently talking to my grandson about the first day of school. We discussed starting the school year off with the right attitude. Simple things like being prepared, being polite, and thinking about what a successful school year looks like are so important.

That's when it hit me. We spend so much time teaching young people academic preparation - how to study, how to take tests, how to write essays. But when it comes to preparation for life's bigger challenges, we often throw them out there and hope they figure it out.

Whether it's walking into a new classroom, trying out for a team, or eventually walking into their first job interview, young people need more than natural talent. They need game plans.

This week we're exploring how the lessons from football season - preparation, strategy, teamwork, resilience - translate into everything else that matters. We're looking at why the skills that make someone "game ready" on Friday nights are the same ones that set them up for success in Monday morning boardrooms.

Most importantly, we're examining how the adults in young people's lives can become the mentors they need, not just for sports, but for the game of life itself.

Let's GO!

🌱 Growth Spotlight: Backpacks & Gameplans - Preparing Youth for Life & Learning

You know that feeling when you're packing for a trip and you keep thinking you forgot something important? That's exactly what most young people experience when they're trying to prepare for... well, anything that matters.

They've got the obvious stuff covered. Notebooks, pencils, and a schedule memorized. But what about the invisible preparation that determines success?

The Friday Night Formula

Here's something that might surprise you. The same preparation routine that separates good football players from great ones applies to everything from classroom performance to job interviews.

Great players don't just show up on game day hoping for the best. They study film, they practice specific scenarios, they prepare mentally for different situations they might face.

Three Ways Football Preparation Translates to Life Success

It Teaches Scenario Planning

Every football team practices what to do when they're winning, when they're losing, and when they're facing different defensive formations. They don't just hope things go well; they prepare for multiple possibilities.

Most young people approach challenges with one plan: try hard and hope it works out. But life doesn't usually cooperate with Plan A.

It Builds Systematic Preparation Habits

Football players develop routines that prepare them physically, mentally, and emotionally for performance: the same cleats, the same warm-up sequence, the same mental preparation ritual.

These aren't superstitions - they're systems that create consistency under pressure.

Young people who learn to build preparation systems early carry that skill into everything else, such as the student who has a consistent homework routine. The job applicant who researches the company, practices common questions, and arrives early, and the college freshman who builds study groups and connects with professors.

It Creates Accountability Partnerships

No football player prepares alone. They have teammates checking their understanding, coaches providing feedback, and film sessions where everyone analyzes performance together.

But most young people try to prepare for life's big challenges in isolation. They study alone, job hunt alone, and make major decisions alone.

The most successful young adults I know create accountability systems early. Study groups that study. Friends who practice job interviews with each other. Mentors who provide honest feedback about strengths and growth areas.

Making It Work in Real Life

• Think preparation, not just completion. Instead of just making sure homework gets done, help young people analyze what preparation methods work best for them. Some learn better by teaching concepts to others, some need to write things down to remember them, and some think better while moving around.

• Find their preparation style. The goal isn't to find the "right" way to prepare - it's to help them discover their most effective preparation style and then apply that system to different challenges.

• Practice low-stakes before high-stakes. Create opportunities for low-stakes practice of high-stakes skills. Let them practice difficult conversations at home before they have to have them at school, role-play job interviews before they need them for real, and practice public speaking at family dinners before presenting to a class.

The confidence that comes from systematic preparation changes everything about how young people approach challenges.

G-Tribe NFL Sunday Check Poll

Alright, G-Tribe, let's have some fun! NFL season is heating up, and we know the G-Tribe has some strong opinions about Sunday game day traditions. Please respond to this poll and let me know where you stand! Also, I spend a lot of time on these polls, so can you please show your support by letting me know your thoughts?

💼 Professional Growth Gateway: Teaching Young Men How to Think Strategically

Let's talk about something that doesn't get discussed enough in mentorship circles. How do you teach strategic thinking to someone who's never had to think beyond next week?

Most young men I work with can tell you exactly what they want to accomplish. Get good grades. Make the team. Get into college. Find a good job. But when you ask them how they plan to make those things happen, you get a lot of "work hard" and "do my best."

That's not a strategy. That's hope with effort attached.

The Quarterback Mindset

Football quarterbacks don't just throw the ball toward their receivers and hope for the best. They read the defense, anticipate how the play will develop, and adjust their approach based on what they see happening in real time.

That's strategic thinking in action.

Here's how that translates to everyday strategic thinking:

Reading the Room

Just like quarterbacks read defensive formations, strategic thinkers learn to read situations, people, and opportunities. They notice patterns. They pick up on unspoken dynamics. They understand that the same approach doesn't work in every situation.

Thinking Two Plays Ahead

Great quarterbacks don't just focus on the current play - they're setting up the next one. Strategic thinkers understand that today's decisions affect tomorrow's options.

Making Adjustments Without Panic

When the original plan doesn't work, strategic thinkers adjust methodically rather than abandoning everything. They understand that flexibility is part of the game, not a sign of failure.

Three Strategic Thinking Skills Every Young Man Needs

Pattern Recognition

Teach them to notice what works and what doesn't, then apply those insights to new situations. If studying with music helps them focus on math, try it for other subjects. If approaching teachers after class gets better responses than emails, use that pattern for other professional relationships.

The key is helping them see connections between different areas of their lives rather than treating every challenge as unique.

Resource Mapping

Help them identify all the resources available to them - not just money, but relationships, skills, opportunities, and time. Most young men underestimate what's available to them because they're only thinking about obvious resources.

Reverse Engineering Success

Instead of starting with their current situation and hoping to reach their goals, teach them to start with their goals and work backward to identify required steps.

If they want to get into a specific college, research the college's admissions criteria. If they wish to pursue a particular career, they should find out what skills and experiences successful people in that field have. If they want to improve in a sport, study what separates good players from great ones.

The Mentorship Game Plan

1. Create regular strategic thinking conversations. Not advice sessions where you tell them what to do, but guided discussions where they think through challenges systematically.

2. Use real situations from their lives as case studies. When they face a conflict with a friend, help them think through different approaches and their likely outcomes. When they're struggling in a class, help them analyze what's not working and brainstorm systematic solutions.

3. Connect their decisions to their larger goals. Help them see how today's choices affect next month's opportunities, how this semester's effort affects next year's options.

The goal isn't to give them all the answers - it's to teach them how to find good answers systematically.

🌟 Success Spotlight: Former Athletes Turned Educators & Mentors

Let me tell you about a man who walked away from half a million dollars a year to teach high school geometry for $50,000.

The Safety Who Chose Students Over Salaries

Ricardo Silva had intercepted passes from both Tom Brady and Russell Wilson during his NFL career. He'd played two seasons as a safety for the Detroit Lions and briefly with the Carolina Panthers, earning more than $500,000 annually. By most measures, he had made it.

But the NFL wasn't adding up for Silva. So at age 26, he decided to hang up his shoulder pads and head back to school - not as a student, but as a teacher.

Silva made a two-year commitment to Washington's Ballou High School through Teach for America, starting in September 2014. It doesn't seem like a fiscally responsible career move, but for Silva, leaving the NFL was part of a bigger vision for his life.

"Anyone can be an NFL player and coach football," Silva said. "How many NFL players are going back into the classroom to get (kids) to college? It's more than football to me, it's life."

Silva wanted to motivate students to go to college. It was a big challenge in a school where only about 30% of students attend university. But his efforts seemed to make a difference quickly. One of his students, 10th grader Eric Cary, credited Silva with helping him raise his grade from a D+ to a B in Geometry.

"He's an excellent teacher and a really cool dude," Cary said. "He's like my role model."

What Makes Former Athletes Great Educators

Silva's transition reveals something important about why former athletes can excel in education. The skills that made him successful on the football field translated directly to classroom challenges.

They Understand Performance Under Pressure

Silva explained the difference between his two careers: "So football, all you have to do is wake up every day, work out, and do what the coaches tell you to do. In school, you have to motivate the young teenagers who are more interested in their social media outlets than math."

Teaching, Silva discovered, was actually more challenging than professional football. Instead of following a coach's game plan, he had to create engagement strategies for students who were disengaged.

They Know How to Adapt Their Approach

Just like defensive backs have to read different offensive formations and adjust their coverage, Silva learned to read his students and adapt his teaching methods. Some students needed encouragement, others needed to be challenged, and some responded to real-world applications of math concepts.

They Bring Authentic Motivation

Silva's presence in the classroom sent a powerful message. Here was someone who had achieved what many young people dream of - professional sports success and financial security - choosing to invest in their education instead.

His story wasn't about lecturing students on the importance of education. It was about demonstrating through his choices that he believed their futures were worth more than his NFL salary.

The Long-Term Vision

Silva wasn't just making a short-term career change. He had clear goals for his life in education. He was married and planned to become a father within five years. His goal was to stay in education, first as a teacher and eventually as a school principal.

Silva proved that sometimes the most important game you can play isn't on Sunday afternoons - it's in Monday morning classrooms, helping young people prepare for their own victories.

🔥 Michael's Hot Take: Friday Night Lights, Father Figures & the Classroom Field

Hey G-Tribe, I've been having a lot of conversations lately that keep circling back to the same troubling pattern.

For those who aren't familiar, "Friday Night Lights" refers to the tradition of high school football games played under stadium lights on Friday evenings. It's become a cultural symbol of American community life, where entire towns gather to support their local teams, creating bonds that extend far beyond the game itself.

But here's what I keep seeing in these conversations with teachers, coaches, and parents - there's a disconnect between what happens under those Friday night lights and what happens in Monday morning classrooms.

I was thinking about all the conversations I've had lately with teachers, coaches, and parents about the challenges young men face in school. There's a pattern that keeps coming up, and it's one we need to address head-on.

Here's what's happening. We see young men who have incredible potential - they're smart, they're capable, they understand teamwork and commitment from sports. But somehow, when it comes to academic success and life preparation, too many of them are struggling.

The numbers tell a story we can't ignore anymore.

The Statistics We Need to Face

Let me share some data that should wake us all up. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24.7 million children (33%) in the United States live in fatherless homes. That's one in three kids growing up without their father present.

The impact on education is devastating:

• 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes

• Children in fatherless homes are twice as likely to drop out of school compared to those with a present father

• Children with actively engaged fathers are 43% more likely to get A's in school and 33% less likely to repeat a grade

These aren't just numbers - they represent millions of young people who aren't reaching their potential because they're missing a crucial piece of their support system.

When the Lights Go Down

Friday night football creates something magical in communities. For three hours, everyone's focused on the same goal. Players have clear roles and responsibilities. Coaches provide guidance and strategy, and the community rallies around a shared purpose.

But Monday morning brings a different reality.

Those same young men who execute complex plays under pressure often struggle with basic life skills. They can read defenses but struggle to navigate social situations. They understand teamwork on the field, but work in isolation when facing academic or personal challenges.

Here's what's frustrating about this disconnect. The skills that make someone successful in athletics - preparation, discipline, resilience, teamwork - are exactly what they need for classroom success and life success. But somehow we're not connecting those dots consistently.

The Father Figure Gap

Let's address something that doesn't get talked about enough. Many of the young men who excel in athletics but struggle elsewhere are missing consistent father figures or male mentors in their daily lives.

Sports coaches often fill that void temporarily. They provide structure, accountability, encouragement, and guidance. But that mentorship usually stays within the athletic program instead of extending into academic and personal development.

This is where organizations like A Few Good MENtors (AFGM) Inc. are doing critical work in communities. We're focused on mentoring young men aged 8-21, providing the consistent male guidance that so many are missing at home.

But here's the reality - we need more men stepping up, especially youth sports coaches who already have credibility and relationships with these young people. Coaches see these kids multiple times a week. They watch them handle pressure, work through challenges, celebrate victories, and bounce back from defeats.

That relationship is pure gold when it comes to mentorship, but it has to extend beyond the field or court.

The Classroom Field

Here's what I wish more educators understood about young men who thrive in athletics but struggle academically. They don't lack intelligence or motivation - they lack a connection between their strengths and their challenges.

These young men understand competition, goal-setting, and team dynamics. They know how to push through discomfort to achieve objectives. They've learned to accept coaching and apply feedback to improve performance.

Those are incredible life skills that translate directly to academic success when someone helps them make the connection.

The best teachers I know treat their classrooms like athletic programs. Clear expectations, regular feedback, opportunities for improvement, and genuine investment in each student's success.

The Community Solution

Here's what we need to understand: this isn't just about individual families - this is about all of us taking responsibility for the young men in our communities.

We show up for athletic events. We celebrate sports achievements. We provide mentorship through coaching.

What if we applied that same community investment to academic achievement, leadership development, and character building?

What if every youth sports coach understood that their influence could extend far beyond wins and losses? What if they saw themselves as life coaches, not just game coaches?

Your Turn to Step Up

Here's what I'm challenging you to consider. If you're a coach, teacher, or mentor in a young person's life, help them connect their athletic strengths to their life challenges.

The young man who can memorize complex playbooks can master academic subjects when he understands the connection. The young man who pushes through fourth-quarter fatigue can push through academic challenges when he has the right support system.

The young man who accepts coaching feedback to improve his game can accept guidance in other areas when it's delivered with the same investment and respect.

And if you're not directly working with young people, support organizations that are. AFGM is always looking for more mentors, especially men who understand the unique challenges facing young men today.

Don't assume that athletic success automatically translates to life success. Help young people build those bridges intentionally.

The Real Championship

The Friday night lights eventually go dark for everyone. Athletic careers end. But the life skills, work ethic, and character development that come from quality mentorship last forever.

The young men who learn to connect their athletic strengths to their life challenges become the fathers, leaders, and mentors who create positive change in their communities.

The communities that invest in developing complete young men - not just athletes - create generations of leaders who understand teamwork, resilience, and service to others.

With 24.7 million kids growing up without fathers, we can't wait for someone else to step up. This is our championship to win, and it starts with each of us becoming the mentor someone desperately needs.

That's the real championship worth winning.

Upcoming Events: Join the G-Tribe

Ready to put this week's message about preparation and community building into action? We've got the perfect opportunity coming up.

Echoes of Freedom: Northern Virginia Black Heritage Tour - September 20th

AFGM is presenting our Echoes of Freedom Tour on Friday, September 20th, and the G-Tribe is invited to experience something powerful together.

This isn't just another historical tour. We're diving deep into the stories that textbooks missed, uncovering the legacy of resilience that shaped Northern Virginia, and connecting those lessons to the challenges and opportunities we face today.

Perfect for educators who want fresh perspectives to bring into their classrooms, history enthusiasts who love discovering hidden stories, or anyone in the DMV area looking for an experience that actually means something.

You'll walk away with more than facts - you'll have stories that inspire, connections that matter, and a deeper understanding of how the past informs our present.

Ready to join us? Register here and secure your spot.

This is what building community looks like - learning together, growing together, and creating the kind of meaningful experiences that strengthen our bonds as the G-Tribe.

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