FROM THE BLEACHERS-773

By Dr. Jack Welch

Respect the Heat

As fall sports practices begin, one opponent deserves as much attention as the team on the other sideline, extreme heat.

Exertional heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses are serious conditions that place athletes at risk every year. Fortunately, most heat emergencies are preventable through preparation, common sense, and a commitment to athlete safety.

Hydration must be a priority, not an afterthought. Athletes should have unlimited access to water before, during, and after practice. In football, water and ice buckets should be positioned around the practice field, not just on the sideline. A canopy should be available to provide shade during breaks, and the athletic training room should have an ice whirlpool or cold-water immersion tub ready in case of an emergency.

Practice schedules also matter. Conditioning should be conducted early in the workout while athletes are fresh or during the cooler hours of the morning or evening. Athletes need time to gradually acclimatize to the heat. The body adjusts over time, but only when that adjustment is allowed to occur safely.

Fifty years ago, many young people spent their summers hauling hay, mowing lawns, riding bicycles, and playing baseball until dark. Those activities naturally prepared them for the physical demands and heat of fall sports. Today’s athletes often spend far more time indoors with electronic devices, arriving at preseason practice less conditioned and far less prepared for prolonged heat exposure.

Heat exhaustion can quickly progress to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical emergency. No practice, conditioning drill, or game is worth risking the life of a young athlete. The best coaches understand that protecting their players is always more important than winning the next contest.

Conditioning is a process, not an event. Coaches should gradually prepare their teams for the season over time, allowing athletes to safely acclimate to the heat and physical demands of practice. Championships are never won on the first day of practice, but a season can certainly be lost if proper precautions are ignored.

Thought for the Week: “The greatest victory a coach can earn is sending every athlete home healthy enough to compete another day.” — Jack Welch

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

From the Bleachers – We Need to Value Our Educators

By Dr. Jack Welch

Every year we hear about teacher shortages, declining interest in education careers, and schools struggling to fill vacancies. Yet we continue to ignore one of the biggest reasons why. We simply don’t value educators the way we should.

Whether it’s K-12 classrooms or college campuses, teachers and faculty are not compensated like the professionals they are. Nationally, teacher pay has failed to keep pace with inflation, while the cost of housing, groceries, healthcare, and everyday living continues to rise. Many educators work evenings, weekends, and even second jobs just to make ends meet.

Salary is only part of the problem, though. The workload keeps growing, while support often seems to shrink. Too many administrators have been away from the classroom long enough to forget its daily realities. Teachers are expected to meet increasingly higher standards, complete mountains of paperwork, manage student behavior, communicate with parents, and raise academic performance, all while receiving less support than ever.

Perhaps most frustrating is the lack of accountability. Teachers are held responsible for student outcomes, yet parents and students are often held to few expectations of their own. Education succeeds only when teachers, administrators, parents, and students share responsibility.

There are many outstanding administrators who stand beside their teachers every day, but that should be the standard rather than the exception. If we truly believe education is the foundation of strong communities, then our actions must reflect that belief. Competitive salaries, supportive leadership, and shared accountability are not luxuries, they are essential.

Until we value educators with more than words, we will continue to wonder why fewer talented individuals choose one of America’s most important professions. Real change requires states to adopt funding models that demonstrate a genuine commitment to the value of education.

Thought for the Week: “When we value educators, we strengthen the future for everyone.” — Jack Welch

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

FROM THE BLEACHERS-771

BY DR. JACK WELCH

Championships Begin Long Before Opening Night

Fall sports are right around the corner, and while fans are counting down the days until the lights come on and the bands start playing, coaches and athletes know one thing, the most important part of the season is happening right now. Preseason preparation.

Preseason is the time when championships quietly begin to take shape. For coaches, the work is never-ending. Playbooks are reviewed and updated. Practice schedules are fine-tuned. Rules and regulations are studied to ensure everything is done the right way. Coaches evaluate talent, organize the summer workouts allowed by their governing associations, and begin figuring out how all the pieces fit together. The wins everyone celebrates in October and November often have their roots in the planning that takes place in June, July and August.

For players, the responsibility is just as great.

This is when they prepare their bodies and minds for the long grind of a season. Football, volleyball, cross country, soccer, and every other fall sport demand endurance, discipline, and toughness. Those who put in the work now will be ready to compete when the whistle blows. Those who don’t may find themselves dreaming about playing instead of actually competing.

Natural talent can take a team only so far. Preparation is what separates good from great. Time and again, we’ve seen less talented teams outperform more gifted opponents because they were better prepared. They were more disciplined. They trusted one another because they had invested the time together. Likewise, good athletes become great athletes because they refuse to rely solely on ability. They prepare. They improve. They sacrifice. That’s really what this season is all about. Sacrifice.

Success in sports isn’t much different than success in life. Whether you’re building a football program, running a business, or leading a company, the people willing to sacrifice their time and energy for a common goal are usually the ones standing at the finish line with something to celebrate.

When it’s fourth-and-one with the game on the line, I want the players on the field who have earned that moment. I want the ones who stayed after practice for extra reps, lifted weights when no one was watching, and chose discipline over convenience. They’ve sacrificed for that yard.

The same principle applies in the workplace. When the pressure is on and an important decision has to be made, I want the employee who consistently puts in the effort, accepts responsibility, and does the little things right. Not the one looking for the quickest way out the door or the easiest path through the day.

Preparation creates confidence. Sacrifice builds character and character is what carries people through the biggest moments.

As another fall sports season approaches, remember this: the scoreboard may tell us who won the game, but preparation usually determines the outcome long before kickoff.

Thought for the Week, “The harvest is never determined on game day, it is determined by the work, sacrifice, and preparation that took place long before anyone was watching.” Jack Welch

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

The Thorn That Makes Us Better

Recently, I watched a video of a NCAA Division I football coach screaming at a player, using every foul word imaginable in an attempt to make a point. The lesson I learned had nothing to do with football. My first thought was, if that is the only way the coach can communicate with players, you have a great deal to learn about leadership.

As leaders, we all wish everyone would do exactly what they are supposed to do at the highest level possible. Reality, however, is much different. Every organization, team, family, and workplace have challenges. There are always situations, people, or circumstances that test our patience and stretch our abilities.

The Apostle Paul called his challenge a “thorn in the flesh.” Three times he asked God to remove it. God’s answer was not removal. God’s answer was grace. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Many of us view thorns as obstacles that prevent success. Perhaps they are opportunities for growth instead. The difficult employee, strained relationship, financial burden, health concern, or workplace challenge may not be intended to defeat us. Often, those situations are designed to develop us.

Too often, we focus our energy on eliminating problems rather than learning from them. Effective leaders ask a different question: “How can I help make this situation better?”

Screaming, anger, and intimidation rarely solve problems. Patience, wisdom, accountability, and grace often do. Without challenges, we may begin believing our success comes solely from our own abilities. Without thorns, we may never learn to depend fully upon God. Hebrews reminds us that we can approach God’s throne of grace for help. Isaiah teaches that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. Philippians reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

The next time a thorn appears in your life, do not simply ask God to remove it. Ask Him what He wants you to learn from it. Frequently, it is through the thorn that God develops the leader He wants us to become.

Thought for the Week, “The challenge you are asking God to remove may be the very tool He is using to strengthen your faith, sharpen your leadership, and deepen your dependence upon His grace.” Ronnie Vinklarek, NFL/UFL Football coaching legend.

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

Can a Boss Be a Friend?

 One of the most common leadership questions I have encountered is whether a boss can truly be friends with employees. Many leadership authors caution against becoming too close to those you supervise. Their concern is understandable. Friendships can make accountability, evaluations, discipline, and organizational changes more difficult. While I understand that perspective, my experience has led me to a different conclusion. I believe it is possible to be both a leader and a friend. The key is understanding that the organization must always remain the top priority.

Leadership is not about choosing between friendship and responsibility. It is about having the maturity to separate the two when necessary. Over the years, I have worked alongside people who became genuine friends. We shared victories, challenges, and countless hours pursuing common goals. Yet there were times when difficult decisions had to be made. I recall a situation where an organizational restructuring was necessary to better serve the institution. One of the positions affected belonged to a close friend. The easy choice would have been to avoid the issue. Instead, we sat down and had an honest conversation about the needs of the organization and the reasons for the change.

Was it easy? No. But because our friendship was built on trust and honesty, we separated the personal relationship from the business decision. The organization moved forward, and the friendship remained intact.

The same principle applies in athletics. Imagine a head football coach whose best friend is an assistant coach. If the team struggles and responsibilities need to be reassigned, a strong leader makes the changes necessary for the program’s success. A true friendship can withstand an honest conversation about what is best for the team. The opposite is also true. Leaders who refuse to build relationships often create distance and distrust. People want to know their leaders genuinely care about them.

Leadership is about balancing relationships and responsibility. Friendship should never interfere with leadership, but when handled correctly, it can strengthen it. A leader can be a friend, as long as friendship serves the mission and never replaces it.

Thought for the Week, “The true test of leadership is having the courage to make the right decision for the organization while preserving the dignity of the people involved,” Jack Welch.

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

It’s Not Experience, It’s the Person

One of the most common debates in leadership revolves around hiring and promotion decisions. Should an organization select the individual with years of experience, or invest in someone with less experience but tremendous potential? After more than four decades in coaching, education, and administration, I have come to a simple conclusion: it is not experience that determines success. It is the person.

Experience certainly has value. Individuals who have spent years in a profession have faced challenges, learned lessons, and developed wisdom that can benefit an organization. However, experience alone does not guarantee success. I have seen highly experienced leaders struggle because they became resistant to change, stopped learning, or relied too heavily on what worked in the past.

On the other hand, I have watched organizations hire young leaders with limited experience who accomplished remarkable things. They brought energy, vision, work ethic, and a willingness to learn. Some built championship programs and transformed organizations. Others struggled because they lacked the personal qualities necessary to lead effectively.

What I have learned is that experience and age are not the same thing. There are individuals in their retirement years who step into leadership opportunities and thrive because they possess humility, character, and a desire to continue growing. There are others with the same amount of life experience who struggle. Likewise, some young professionals excel beyond expectations while others do not.

The determining factor is rarely age or experience. It is the person. Do they have integrity? Are they willing to work hard? Can they build relationships? Are they teachable? Can they adapt when circumstances change? Do they place the mission and people they serve above their own interests?

Scripture reinforces this principle. When the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint a new king, he assumed God would choose one of Jesse’s older, stronger, and more experienced sons. Instead, God selected David, a young shepherd boy. The Lord reminded Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus followed the same pattern. He did not choose the most educated religious leaders of His day. He chose fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary men. What made them extraordinary was not their credentials; it was their willingness to follow Him and allow God to work through them.

Too often, organizations become fixated on years of experience while overlooking the qualities that truly drive success. Experience, training, and mentorship can help, but none can replace character, passion, commitment, and a servant’s heart.

When making leadership decisions, look beyond age and experience. Find the right person. If you find the right person, they will often find a way to succeed regardless of how much experience they have or do not have.

Thought for the Week, “Experience can teach you many things, but character determines what you do with what you’ve learned.” Jack Welch.

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.