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We are a few days away from camp starting here. Illinois has a mandatory off week that lifts on August 7th. I’ve watched my coaching friends rejoice as players return to campus for a few days now and I find myself smiling. I’m smiling because this year is different. We aren’t welcoming players this year, they already live here. 🙂
That isn’t the only thing that we aren’t doing:
- We aren’t squeezing in the last quality family time for months
- We aren’t stocking the office with food to ensure our favorite coach eats
- We aren’t saying no to hanging out with people
- We aren’t prepping the boys for all of the hellos and time focused on everyone but them (in their eyes)
- We aren’t filling the calendar with activities in the hopes of distracting the kids from the increased stress level.
Distance has revealed that our family was living life on a hamster wheel fogged over with stress. For me in particular, some of this stress could have been released, but the vast majority of it came from a lifestyle that had an unbalanced scale. 90% of the time, energy, and effort was expelled outward with about 10% reserved inward. This might seem reasonable to those of you running the rat race that is college athletics, but I promise you it is a recipe for exhaustion both physically and mentally.
Self-care is not just a buzz word, it is a vital part of living a healthy life. It isn’t something that can be taught in a “do as I say, not as I do” format. Self-care is understood when modeled.
Camp is coming just as it does each fall. This year we are celebrating:
- Camp is no longer all consuming.
- Gratitude is present
- Dinners at home
- A present Dad
- Friday nights under the lights
Good luck to my favorites around the country! I’m cheering you on at Olivet (IL and MI), Greenville, Graceland, YSU, others I can’t think of right now. Do yourselves a favor and say no the next 3 things you are asked to do… and think of me and smile when you do so.
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