Yes You Can

This is the motto of Team Hoyt, a father and son team that competes in triathlons, marathons, and many other types of races. You're probably asking yourself, "Why is that such a big deal? Surely there are hundreds of other father and son teams that compete in races." Did I fail to mention that the son Rick is a spastic quadriplegic who has been confined to a wheelchair his whole life?  That means that during a triathlon his father Dick has to pull him in a boat for the 2.4 mile swim, pedal him on a bike for the 112 mile bike ride, and push him for the 26.2 mile marathon.  Rick once told his father that when they're racing he feels like he doesn't have a disability.  Because most parents want more for their children than they want for themselves, knowing how racing makes Rick feel is all the motivation Dick needs to put his son's happiness ahead of the grueling physical torture he must endure during races. That is what separates Team Hoyt from all the other father and son teams that compete in races.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM

As of April 2012, Team Hoyt has competed in 1077 races, including:

247      Triathlons (6 Ironman distances, 7 Half Ironman)

22        Duathlons

70        Marathons (30 Boston Marathons)

81        8.6 Milers

94        Half Marathons

1          20K

37        10 Milers

33        Falmouth 7.1 Milers (1 Falmouth in the Fall)

8          15K's

216      10K's

157      5 Milers

4          8K's

18        4 Milers

150      5K's

8          20 Milers

2          11K's

1          7K

1          20 Mile Bike for Best Buddies

Author’s perspective #1 – Making Choices. The Hoyt’s are a great example of overcoming the worst news possible and turning it into something positive. When Dick found out that his son was a quadriplegic, he could have listened to the doctors and accepted that his son was not going to have a normal life. Instead he and his wife made a choice to give their son as normal a life as possible.

Author’s perspective #2 – Putting others first. Dick Hoyt exemplifies the word sacrifice. The ability to put someone else's wants or needs ahead of our own is not a common thing in today’s society.  Dick's sacrifice is not made for personal gain. It is made to make someone else’s life better.  We could all learn something from Dick Hoyt.

Author’s perspective #3 – What do you have to lose? What if each person incorporated this unselfish attitude in their everyday life?  A simple kind gesture to make someone else feel good can go a long way. You do not have jeopardize your character in the process. It will only make you a better person in the long run.

Your turn (1) respond via this blog (2) comment on Facebook page (character development & leadership) or (3) tweet to @CDandLeadership using #CDandL:

1)  Social Media Question: If you have kids one day, do you think you will be able to make the sacrifice that Dick Hoyt chooses to make?

2) What are some examples of sacrifice that you have made in your life to make someone else’s life better?

3) Are you willing to perform one unselfish act a day to make someone’s life better? If you are, tell us about it using social media sites.

Wal-Mart Fires Employee for Rescuing Customer?

Wal-Mart fired one of their workers, Kristopher Oswald, for attempting to rescue a woman who was being assaulted in the parking lot. While on his lunch break, Oswald went to help this woman and two other men jumped him from behind. According to Wal-Mart, Oswald went against the company’s policy by helping this woman, instead of calling the police. Wal-Mart’s spokeswoman, Ashley Hardie, made a statement saying that, "We had to make a tough decision, one that we don't take lightly, and he's no longer with the company."

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaoiFzO76tk

Author’s Perspective #1 - Humanity over Policy: Wal-Mart’s policy is written to keep employees from getting involved in physical altercations, specifically other employees or possible shoplifters. Trying to stick with their policy is understandable, but common sense should over-rule written policy, particularly in emergency situations. Oswald stumbled upon a woman being assaulted in the parking lot and he felt like he was doing the right thing. If Oswald worked for me, I would call him a hero or a courageous person with outstanding character.  Some paper-pusher at Wal-Mart chose, instead, to fire him for breaking company policy.    

Author’s Perspective #2 - Story Sends The Wrong Message: Society should be looking for good and decent people like this and rewarding this type of brave behavior, not punishing it. This relates to the blog I wrote earlier about the young boy coming to the aid of a fellow middle-school student who was being attacked and then suspended for his heroism. www.characterandleadership.blogspot.com/2013/06/we-dont-condone-heroics.html

These type of stories sends the wrong message to everyone  – don’t get involved, don’t help your fellow man, don’t think for yourself. I would like to send a different message – be self-reliant, use good judgment, your humanity comes before written policy.  I believe these stories are an oxymoron because we tell kids to help others in need, but… if you do, you might get punished. 

 Perspective #3 - It Shouldn't Take Public Scrutiny: Other local companies heard about Oswald’s heroism and he was offered multiple jobs. At the same time, public pressure started to mount, influencing Wal-Mart to reconsider their decision and offer Oswald his job back.  Go figure! 

Your Turn (1) respond via this blog, (2) comment on Facebook page (character development & leadership) or (3) tweet to @CDandLeadership using #CDandL):
1) Social Media Question:  What do you think of the way Wal-Mart handled this situation? Why?
2) Are there times when it is better to disobey the law, school rules or company policy? If so, give examples.
3) If you were in Krisopher Oswald's shoes and came across someone being victimized in a parking lot, what would you do?

Kentucky High Schools Ban Post-Game Handshakes

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has banned post-game handshakes between players from opposing high schools. The main reason for this new rule is that 24 fights have broken out in the state of Kentucky following high school athletic contests. The KHSAA warned schools that if the rule is disobeyed, the individual schools will be held responsible for the outcomes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RldUg5kISB0 (check out the story here)

Author's Perspective #1: This is a litigious society and organizations like the KHSAA have lawyers that advise them on legal concerns. There is no doubt that a lawyer told them, "If someone gets seriously injured as a result of these handshakes, the organization could be held responsible." So, some knucklehead at the top gets scared and makes an impulsive decision that protects the organization instead of looking at the larger picture.

Author's Perspective #2: What is the larger picture, you ask? The main reason for high school athletics is to promote competition & sportsmanship. Players and teams work hard to win their competitive matches, but whether a team wins or loses, it is important to show respect to the other team. It is through the post-game handshake that athletes learn words like grace, dignity and humility. The irony is the KHSAA is banning the very thing that is put into place to promote sportsmanship.

Author's Perspective #3: How many handshakes do you think took place in Kentucky after high school sporting events in the past two years? 100,000? 200,000? 1,000,000? I don't know, but it seems ridiculous to ban the entire practice due to 2 dozen fights. That is about one half of one half of one percent. We need to stop creating rules for a few bad apples and penalizing those who can handle themselves appropriately.

Author's Perspective #4: Just a thought, but instead of banning the post-game handshake, ban the players who get in fights. The KHSAA should take a page from last week's blog where Coach Labrum suspended his players for a lack of character. My guess is that if he were in charge in Kentucky, athletes would get the idea that fighting is not tolerated.

Your Turn (1) respond via this blog, (2) comment on Facebook page (character development & leadership) or (3) tweet to @CDandLeadership using #CDandL):
1) Social Media Question:  What do you think of the KHSAA rule of banning post-game handshakes?
2) If you were in Kentucky and you were told not to take part in the post-game handshake, what would you do? Why?
3) If you were the coach of a player who fought during a post-game handshake, how would you handle it?