From The Coach’s Desk

36 // March 2020 by Tiffany Tankersley “T he effectiveness of a leader is best judged by the actions of those he guides.” –Coach Bill Courtney These are words of life spoken by incredible high school football coach Bill Courtney out of Memphis, Tennessee. He is the center of the docuseries, “Undefeated.” It trails the life of a believer in our youth who builds a football program in an impoverished and dilapidated North Memphis school district with all odds and obstacles imaginable stacked against him and even more stacked against the team he leads to the first undefeated season in the high school’s history. These young men face unimaginable circumstances that pierce the very deepest parts of my own coach’s heart. This is where Friday night lights turn into a spotlight of smalltown stardom.

In the opening scene, Coach Courtney is standing in front of a seemingly hopeless team. He says, “Let’s see here: starting right guard, shot— no longer in school; starting linebacker, shot—no longer in school; two players fighting right in front of the coach when he is trying to make things work out. Starting center, arrested for shooting somebody in the face with a BB gun.” For perspective, at the beginning of that statement, he means these boys were victims of actual gunshot wounds. The crime rate and gang activity in North Memphis are staggering. The once-buzzing metropolitan city where the blues was born now boasts a whopping violent crime rate of 84 per 1000 residents. North Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in all of America comparable to communities of all sizes. These boys face the chance of being involved in a violent crime at an astounding rate of one in 12! For most people, taking on such a challenge would present more trouble than worth. But to a coach, it presents a remarkable opportunity. That is what we do. We hope for opportunities to serve, opportunities to encourage and build up our youth as individuals who are strong and know the value of hard work and discipline. It is not always easy, and anybody who has ever filled the shoes of a coach will tell you just that. They will also tell you it is not for the faint of heart; it is purely a labor of love, and nothing has ever pulled so fiercely on the strings of their hearts than when one of their own realizes their ability to overcome adversity. Coaches are selfless, passionate believers in others. We have opportunities to plant seeds of goodness into the hearts and minds of those who matter most.

In the year that Coach Bill Courtney led his impossible high school team to an undefeated season, one of his players was signed and went on to play college football. The first college game he played in was in front of some 50,000 fans. His aspirations were to study education so that he could also be a football coach after he graduated. Two other players went on to college, earning scholarships that would have never been possible without this coach. All were made better by the sacrifice and love of one very special football coach.

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord” (Malachi 3:3). Be encouraged today. Be involved. Sign up to coach or volunteer. Coaching our youth is a rewarding full-circle ministry. Time spent pouring into our youth is never in vain.

Call today for a FREE ESTIMATE 423.591.0325 332 3rd Street SW • Cleveland, TN • www.affordableRSG.com

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