Starting A Trend Doing Things Right

The news out of Roosevelt, Utah this week has given me some encouragement that things are being done the right way.

If you check my blog post of September 7, Do It the Right Way, I encouraged coaches at all levels to cut off the monster.  While it is probably unrelated, I would like to think we have seen evidence of change.

Matt Labrum, head football coach at Union High School, suspended his entire team for acts of bullying, cutting class, and general disrespect of teachers in the school.  He put standards on earning your way back on the field, completed by 33 of the 41 players.  They took the field Friday night in their Homecoming game against Emery.  The final score read Emery 41, Union 21, but the real life scoreboard read Character 1, Poor Behavior (Still too many).

A link to the game's article follows: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865587232/LIVE-STREAM-Union-Cougars-vs-Emery-Spartans-7-pm.html

This brave action is exactly what I wrote about three weeks ago.  If we could find more coaches willing to do these kinds of things, we might have less players getting arrested at higher levels.  We could return to the standards where pride in the football team came for the right reasons.  It's about learning a game and life lessons involved, because the NFL doesn't look for average size individuals to play their game.  Without freakish talent, the play for pay brigade is out of reach.  Learn the important lessons and the character of a nation can change.

I applaud Coach Labrum's efforts, and wish there were more willing to take a stand.  Am I naive enough to believe a total change is coming?  No.  But I am glad to see change in the correct direction for a change.

I hope he doesn't get fired for teams performance on the field.

So...am I off base?