Discipline

Accountability -

Delayed Gratification -

Advance Decision Making -

The 3 P's of Servant Leadership

IMPACT began this week. The first lesson covered the 3 P's of Servant Leadership. To strengthen our leadership potential and ability we can start by focusing on the 3 P's which are:

1) Purpose - Purpose gives you a starting place. If you have a purpose your mission will begin to have focus and clarity. Focus will allow you to hone in on the things that are the most important thing in life.

2) Passion - If you do not like what your doing you wil njotl succeed. Finding your passion will give you a rejuvenated spirit and a zeal for life. Find out what you are passionate about and you will find a purpose.

3) Planning - Set attainable goals. We identified personal goals this week and the importance of goal setting in life. We focused on academic, athletic, and life goals. But the important thing about goal setting is having a PLAN OF ACTION. Many of the student-athletes in attendance set goals like, graduate, go to college, become better football players, and be uncommon men and fathers. All of these things are great. But goals with no planning can make you tired and more likely to fall back into the same path you started on. Have a Plan of Action!

IMPACT began by focusing on the 3 P's of Servant leadership and next week we will focus on leading positively or negatively. See you next week and in the mean time continue to be Uncommon in your approach to leadership.

The 2009 Austin East Roadrunner Mission Statement

To become better men by being commited to academics, teamwork, work ethic, having a positive attitude on and off the field, making NO EXCUSES and representing the Austin East Family with Roadrunner Pride.

- Mission Statement created by Roadrunner players

The Hand You Were Dealt

Many things in life are beyond our control. Its as if we were all dealt a hand of cards, we cannot exchange any cards in our hand, all we can do is merely play our hand and its up to us how we play it. It seems we constantly want to fold or trade our hand for another. We look for excuses as to why we can't do things and eventually try to find the easy way out.

I want to encourage you to play the hand you are dealt and play it well. Stop looking for excuses as to why certain things happen and take control of the things you can control such as your attitude, which you are in total control of. Life will bring you trials and tests. We cannot choose our trials or select our tests, but they will come. However, what we can do is choose how to respond to the difficulities life throws at us.

Life can be unfair and the response to these difficulties can either help us grow or continue to hinder us. Our attitude is what determines our view of the hand we were dealt. Attitude is a big thing that makes a big difference in our lives and only YOU can control your attitude. Nobody has been dealt a bad hand, it's what we do with our hand that determines the result. Be the best that you can be and be faithful with what has been given to you.

Charles Swindoll on Attitude...

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

IMPACT 20/20

20/20 is a Cross Cultural experience where Athletes will truly find out what it means to "be a part of something bigger than themselves." A small select group of upcoming leaders will be chosen to represent the AE football team in the Bahamas. Dates are still unknown. If you are interested please check with Coach Bowles. If you are not selected this year, there will be other opportunties to get involved. In the mean time... Do whats right and be a Servant Leader.

Check out the camp we will be working at campbahamas.com

IMPACT Begins!

IMPACT will begin on April 1st. We will meet at 3:45 in the fieldhouse. Plan for an hour meeting. See You there!

What's Best For The Rest...

A Champion can be defined as someone who FINISHES a task or goal on the top of their respected field. Our TEAM has grown and developed throughout the year. We have put in hardwork throughout the hot summer months and we continue to press on through the cold, wind, and rain, but we have not reached our goal. If our goal was to make the playoffs, that would mean we settled for mediocrity, for being one of the top 40 some teams in AAA. We are not mediocore.

Our goal and our prize is five weeks from now, but we must take it one week at a time. Our focus must be on the the current objective (the weekly goal). To be successful as a team and focus on the current objective we must decide to do what's best for the rest!

JFK once stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." My challenge to you is to look at your team, and your role on this team and ask yourself what YOU can do to help this team reach its goal. As you think of how you can help this team reach its goal think about these things:

> Attitude - Is my attitude positive?
> Teamwork - Am I doing whats best for the rest?
> Leadership - Am I leading this team in a positive direction?
> Hardwork - Am I working hard enough?
> Training - Am I doing what I should be off the field to become a champion?

"Champions can see the big picture, because the big picture is greater than just one person. The big picture is about the TEAM."