This is interesting timing.

We had our first contact day for the 2026 football season yesterday. In this instance, “contact” means that we coaches get to be in contact with the players, teaching, mentoring and learning how far they have travelled since the last season. Helmets and pads come later. But for now, it is simply coaching.

I bring this up today because back in the day, I came upon an approach to coaching football that was not centered on mastery of one but moreso mastery of self. A project that I too have taken to heart. Sorry about the pun. For those of you that caught it, I will send you a star for your helmet. The moment was fertile for so many last night. But most sailed over their noggins. This too shall pass. But again, I digress.

In my view, mastery of self is about rounding out all of ones abilities. To focus entirely upon one may overlook others that might be worthy of consideration for growth into something far more. We are all gifted with certain talents, aptitudes or strengths, if you will. But then for some strange reason, we automatically refer to anything that falls out of that category as “weakness”. The connotation that just because you aren’t able to do it now makes it invaluable and unworthy to pursue just baffles me.

We are not just one thing. But a host of many. And in coming to that realization, I began to look at strength’s opposite not as “weakness” but as “capacity”. You may be “full” of talents and abilites in certain areas, but there is also an abundance of capacity to address, pursue and develop many others with intention, perseverance and faith.

For that reason, we are all common in that one trait; our capacity to grow.

When I coach, my focus is on the development of the whole person, not simply the athlete. By looking at each individual as the sole proprietor of four fundamental aptitudes – athletics, academics, arts and agape’ – you can enlighten and challenge them to recognize, understand and embrace their capacity to enhance any or all of them.

Academics is more than just math or science, Latin or social studies. It is a genuine and active interest in the value of knowledge and how it forms all manner of opportunity. Perhaps it is the arts, expression in the form or drawing, painting, music, theatre, poetry, you name it. Agape’, the relentless, active approach of seeking the well-being of others, through service and servanthood. And then athletics. A passion for competition on the field, court, diamond, pool, or track.

We are each gifted with these four aptitudes. How we express our gratitude for their receiot is exposed by our approach in working to master each, fulfilling what we were meant to become.

Should they heed the call, seek self-mastery across each aptitude, imagine the individual that appears at the first contact day or practice. They are one that has actively and passionately sought to fill capacity in all areas, thereby learning a sense of self-mastery and incorporating abundant growth within.

Glimmers already appeared on that field last night.

So how can you divest yourself of not trying it because you never have done it, it is not a strength and you just “weren’t made that way”?

In response to this prompt, albeit several hundred words later, I couldn’t choose to instantly master anything. That would leave parts of me empty. I would prefer to honestly see the widest possibilities as true potential and then apply myself to fully fill my capacity in each to the brim.

And then some.

Now that is one great life skill.