As we begin to live out January of 2009, most of us not only dream about experiences we hope to have in the new year, but we also spend some time thinking about how we got here. What experiences influenced what we are today? All of us have had some good and some bad experiences that continue to influence us today. Life has been exceedingly good to me. I've listed several in my notes. Then I began to think about how God has used some hard experiences
to be a blessing for me. One of those experiences it took me some time to understand. It was the last day of Spring football practice in 1954, my junior year in high school. I had been so excited all Spring as our team prepared for the Fall season. In the first part of Spring practice Coach Rotella had been allowing me to alternate with Eddie Murry with the first team backfield. I had been used to Coach praising me in front of the other players for my efforts. But on this last day of Spring practice when Coach said, "we are going to see what each of us is made of, today." there was no way I could please him. It seemed that on every other play he found something wrong with my play. Finally, he said, "Curt, what is wrong with you today?" Then he put me with the defense team, and put Eddie, my competition, with the offense for the rest of the day. That is the way I finished Spring practice. It was a long hard summer for me.
to be a blessing for me. One of those experiences it took me some time to understand. It was the last day of Spring football practice in 1954, my junior year in high school. I had been so excited all Spring as our team prepared for the Fall season. In the first part of Spring practice Coach Rotella had been allowing me to alternate with Eddie Murry with the first team backfield. I had been used to Coach praising me in front of the other players for my efforts. But on this last day of Spring practice when Coach said, "we are going to see what each of us is made of, today." there was no way I could please him. It seemed that on every other play he found something wrong with my play. Finally, he said, "Curt, what is wrong with you today?" Then he put me with the defense team, and put Eddie, my competition, with the offense for the rest of the day. That is the way I finished Spring practice. It was a long hard summer for me.All summer where I worked at the local golf course, the men of town would talk with me about their expectations for fall football. They talked with me as if it was certain that I would be on the starting team. I thought I would be too, until that last day of Spring practice. So all Summer I feared that come September that I would be embarrassed in front of the my friends and the entire community. But my fears were unfounded. Because after two weeks of practice in August, just before our first game with Carter High, a newspaper reporter showed to write a story. To my great surprise when Coach Rotella lined us up for pictures of the staring backfield, there I was on the front of the sport page.
It was then that I remembered that often in practice he had frequently singled out one of our best players and gave him a "hard time." He used this method to fine tune the best of the best. Most of the players were honored by his giving them that very special attention. From that day on I truly enjoyed the season, even when he disciplined me before the whole team.
Scriptural Guide for this new year:
"My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline...for the Lord reproves those whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights"(Proverbs 3:11,12)
1 comment:
I met Coach Rotella while attending a University of Tennessee football game with my dad. He was being honored by the University during halftime. Dad and I made our way through the crowd down to the sidelines. Before my dad had said a word, Coach Rotella said, "Curt Schofield!, the best blocking back I ever coached." As dad introduced me to Coach Rotella, his eyes were beaming as if he were a teenager on the football field again. I could see the influence that Coach Rotella had on my dad.
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