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"There is nothing wrong with sports in America that everything that's right with sports can't fix." Joe Ehrmann | |
Dear Friends,
Imagine sport programs where every player feels safe, valued, affirmed and challenged to be the best they are capable of becoming. Imagine coaches implementing the idea that the physical, intellectual, social, emotional and moral well-being of players is part of every coach's responsibility. Imagine leagues and institutions providing a safe and supportive environment for healthy competition where parents are fully invested and engaged.
Imagine this not as the exception but as the rule at every level of sport, from tee-ball to high school to college. Imagine sports and coaching used to initiate individual, communal and societal change throughout America. This is part of Coach for America's vision for 21st century sports and it is happening now!
I have the incredible privilege of leading InSideOut Coaching Seminars across the country at all levels of sports. I see coaches and leagues that teach, advocate, enforce, and model all that sports can do to contribute to the optimal development of players and their communities.
In the past month I've had the opportunity to experience four coaches who are impacting their players, communities and the future of America. All four recognize that coaches are one of the most influential adults in the life of an athlete. Each of these men teaches much more than how to play a game. As coaches who influence other coaches, they teach and model moral, ethical values-based coaching and the development of self-discipline, character and citizenship in their players.
Peace,
Joe |
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On The Road with Joe: Four Exemplary Coaches and Programs |
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Joe Ehrmann joins Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, USC Coach Pete Carroll, and others for the National High School Football Kick Off to be seen in Movie Theatres Across the Country!!
 As over one million student-athletes hit the football fields this fall, Joe will be joining Tony Dungy, NFL MVP Peyton Manning, NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders, Dallas Clark and other exemplary NFL role models who will be sharing tips on conditioning, skill techniques and character development, and will challenge student-athletes to become better players and better people. Tony Dungy Red Zone will be shown at hundreds of movie theaters across the Nation. To find a theatre near you, click here.
Congratulations to Coach Dungy for using his platform, position and power to influence players, coaches, parents and see sports utilized as a positive influence in the healthy development of character.
YOUTH SPORTS
"First and foremost, the TCYFL promotes players' welfare and wellbeing. The key to our growth has been attracting Member Communities who share our vision of creating a positive football playing experience." Geoff Meyer President, The Chicagoland Youth Football League
 The Chicagoland Youth Football League, the largest independent youth tackle football league in the United States, held its one day mandatory Coaches Accreditation Clinic. Over 1,300 youth football coaches heard Joe teach on Purpose Driven Coaching. Local high school coaches taught on X's and O's, drills, and lessons in how to build value-centered football teams. It was a wonderful day and stands as a model of for recognizing the impact good coaching has on young people and also holding coaches accountable for this privilege. TCLFL has established a program that has a strong focus on practicing good health, citizenship, character and sportsmanship. The TCYFL features nearly 300 travel teams playing at five different age/weight levels and in three different divisions designed to provide a competitive football playing experience in an environment conducive to equitable player participation. Member Communities serve well over 10,000 Chicagoland boys and girls up to age fourteen on League and in-house tackle teams, local flag football teams, and on cheerleading, dance, and spirit squads. Well done Coach Meyer and thank you for raising the bar!
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS D.W. Rutledge, one of the most successful coaches in Texas High School football history and presently Executive Director of the Texas High School Coaches Association , invited Joe to keynote the 77th annual Convention held in Austin, Texas. THSCA is made up of more than 19,000 coaches dedicated to developing student-athletes both physically and mentally. Their mission is "to help and serve our Texas high school coaches as they work to help and serve our student-athletes. Simply stated - HELPING COACHES TO HELP KIDS." THSCA's Convention provides a Coaching School as part of a two year professional accreditation aimed at best practices for coaches. Joe joined UT Head football coach Mack Brown, UT basketball coach Rick Barnes and Baylor's Art Briles among others. THSCA is an outstanding example of understanding the power and influence of coaches in the lives of their players, schools and communities. Coach Rutledge not only understands the importance of coaches but then nurtures them through the Coaching School as well as proving accountability to the privilege of coaching. Well done Coach Rutledge and thank you for raising the bar!
COLLEGE SPORTS
 Kirk Ferentz and his wife, Mary, invited Joe to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where over 800 people attended "An Evening with Joe Ehrmann". The event, co-sponsored by Transamerica raised more than $10,000 for the University of Iowa's Children's Hospital. The evening began with a brief speech by former Iowa kicker Nate Kaeding, who plays for the San Diego Chargers. Nate met Joe last fall when Joe spoke to the Chargers team and is a great example of a professional athlete who gives back to his community in significant ways. Coach Ferentz then spoke and asked for a moment of silence for Iowa high-school football coach Ed Thomas, who was murdered two days before the event.
The next day Joe spoke to the University of Iowa's football team. Joe holds Coach Ferentz in high esteem as a coach who uses his platform, position and power to not only holistically help his players be better men and citizens, but also to contribute to the betterment of his community, UI and college sports. Two of Coach Ferentz's former players and exemplary NFL role models, Dallas Clark and Bob Sanders, will be speaking at Tony Dungy's Red Zone. Well done Coach Ferentz and thank you for raising the bar!
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Coaching Home Base: Shape Up Your Relationships |
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 "YOU BETTER SHAPE UP! CAUSE I NEED A MAN!"
My psychotherapist colleagues and I have noticed a recent trend in women who, after many years of marriage, children and all the trimmings, suddenly decide to leave their husbands - lock, stock & barrel. Poof! They are gone. They no longer feel compelled to ask and argue for what they need, stating they've, "been there and done that!"
Unlike many men who are leaving their marriages, most of these women are NOT leaving their husbands for other romantic pursuits. They are leaving because they would rather be alone than continue living in the emptiness and loneliness they feel in their current relationship.
Some men have asked for help with surprised, hurt and confused feelings about how they may have missed the boat on these relationships. With this in mind, we are suggesting 10 STEPS TO SHAPING UP to help men become better partners. Next month, we'll look at the shape we women are in!
Understanding that both men and women send mixed messages about who they are and what they want is a good start to better communication. Both genders stereotype and objectify the other. While we've made exciting progress on many fronts, we feel vulnerable when roles are no longer clearly established. As we struggle for our true identities, the grass across the street can look a lot greener. Before letting your relationship become another statistic, go to the areas that you may be neglecting addressed in the Coaching Points below and commit to Shaping Up!
Coaching Points: Shape Up Your Relationship
1. Everything is not about you. This is one of the Golden Rules of communication! If you don't learn any of the others, try to master this one! Seeing the world from your partner's perspective is critical to an intimate relationship. Surprisingly, this is not an easy skill for some people. Some men understand an event or situation only as it relates to them rather than how it relates to their partner's world or reality. If you are on a mission to fix your partner's problem to feel good about yourself, your personal agenda may be hidden to you, but your partner smells it a mile away! Listening with two ears and asking how you can support your partner is always good form.
2. Care about what's best for her. Trust is built when she can rely on you to support her without your own agenda. When you do this, you find that eventually your partner will feel closer and safer sharing more of herself with you. You can't begin to build trust, however, without interest in knowing your partner and you can't know your partner without talking to her. Genuine communication is critical to keeping the connection between couples alive.
3. Be a Team Player. Get in the game! Nobody likes to feel like they are battling life alone. From the daily affairs of co-parenting, sharing financial duties and talking through problems to the enthusiastic planning of family vacations and romantic getaways, struggling women like to feel like their guy is in the game with them!
4. Be a Friend. Some guys actually treat their friends with more respect than their partners. If you cannot learn to see and respect your partner as a whole human being who has thoughts, feelings, desires, dreams, needs, opinions and rights that are equal to yours, then your relationship is already in a state of atrophy. Be willing to challenge what you believe about wives and husbands and women and men.
5. Have her Back. If you are dropping the ball on the little things, chances are your partner may question your capacity to be there if or when things get really rough. Does your partner feel like you've got her covered? Do you have her back?
6. Be Teachable. Every woman agrees that a man who wants to learn and grow is attractive! One of the best ways to keep a relationship energized is by continuing to explore how to do things better. Being stubborn and defensive may win you the battle but will surely lose you the war. Teach ability and flexibility go hand in hand. Grow and flow!
7. Seek Truth. Romantic relationships often reveal the deepest parts of our souls. When exposed, who is the man your partner sees? What are your driving principles? Where do you find purpose and cause? Nurturing your spirituality is the way to support and drive everything you do!When your partner needs to hold onto you, you better be holding onto something yourself. Being a seeker of truth will help ground you in principles with values and virtues that guide all of your behaviors and relationships and spark passion between you and your partner giving life new energy and meaning.
8. Do the Right Thing. We really don't want bad boys, contrary to Hollywood's idea portrayed by tormented, dark and troubled guys who treat us badly while we beg for more and pass over the kind and sensitive good guys. Most women pay attention to the choices and decisions their men make. Those who choose to stay with men of weak character may have their own challenges to overcome. Either way, you doing the right thing ALWAYS makes doing the right thing easier for your partner!
9. Be Strong AND Sensitive. Most men know by now that these qualities are not mutually exclusive. Even more so they are becoming harder to separate. One must be strong to maintain an active sensitivity to others and one who has an active sensitivity must be strong to field the emotional fly balls that life sends on a regular basis. Do you have the RANGE in your emotional skills to be a healthy inter-dependent partner? If not, you can work to deepen your insight, strengthen your emotional capacity and develop the skills you need for a robust intimacy. Click here to find out more about CFA's InSideOut Seminars
10. Make a commitment. Begin Shaping Up Your Relationship and tell your partner you're doing it! Click here for a pdf of these coaching points. |
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Corporate
Transamerica National Sales Force, Denver, Colorado
Joe will keynote at the Transamerica National Sales Team meeting. Transamerica helped sponsor Joe's trip to Iowa and is a company that understands its corporate social responsibility to impact communities across America.
Elementary and Secondary Education
KIPP SCHOOLS, Houston, TexasJoe will present two seminars to the nationally acclaimed KIPP Charter Schools in Houston, Texas. The first seminar is a three hour InSideOut Coaching training to the various coaches of KIPP schools in Houston. Joe helped KIPP coaches develop their coaches philosophy and then integrate their sports programs into the educational philosophy of KIPP. Joining in the training were coaches from the Yes School, another exemplary urban education model. Joe then led a four hour workshop on InSideOut Leadership for KIPPS executive leaders, principals and emerging leaders. KIPP is an incredible sign of hope for the academic achievement of all American children.
Milwaukee College Preparatory School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joe will lead an InSideOut Teacher Seminar for yet another incredible school the Milwaukee College Preparatory School. If you are concerned about educational equality for all students in America, Joe hopes you will take a moment to look at this site as well as KIPP and YES school previously mentioned. Every student in America deserves the best education possible and no child's geography should ever dictate the quality of education they deserve.
Colleges and Universities
SUNY New Paltz, University of Colorado, Villanova University
Joe will be traveling to SUNY New Paltz, to lead a InSideOut Coaching Seminar to the Athletic Department and then deliver a keynote address to all their student-athletes. Joe will then speak to the University of Colorado football team and conclude the month speaking to the Villanova University Athletic Department. |
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Partnering with Building Men for Others Ministries, Inc.
Those new to our mission and vision may not know that Building Men and Women for Others, Inc. (home to Coach For America) is a mobilizing organization created to build, launch and help sustain individual and social change through indigenous partnerships of people, communities, agencies and organizations. Building Men for Others Ministries is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501-c(3) division of our organization that enables us to receive donations to further this mission and vision.
Recent donations have enabled us to offer InSideOut©Coaching seminar scholarships to coaches who cannot afford to attend. We also use these donations to support and encourage other organizations who share goals and objectives similar to Building Men for Others Ministries.
 This summer, your donations helped to support Hopes Heroes in their first annual 5k Fun Run & Wheelchair Obstacle Challenge on Saturday June 6th at Cromwell Valley Park in Towson. The event was sponsored by Athletes Serving Athletes and Young Life Capernaum Baltimore, two local non-profit organizations designed to help children with disabilities live life to the fullest. Visit the link below to find out more about their organization.
For further information or to make a donation, feel free to call me and, as always, THANK YOU for your continued support!
Cathy, Operations Director |
To schedule Joe Ehrmann for
2009-2010 click here or call Brenda, (877) 321-2696 |
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In theatres August 25.
Coaching Home Base:
Shape Up Your Relationship
"What's the point of living with someone if they aren't walking through life with me?" Read more...
InSideOut
Coaching Seminars
Baltimore, MD
On August 8, Joe hosted an ISO-Coaching Seminar in Hunt Valley.
We welcomed local coaches but also those from far away as Indiana and Georgia.
Open seminars will continue to be announced as they become available. For smaller groups who wish to pick their time and date, please contact our office about customized seminars for your team right here in Hunt Valley.
San Francisco, CA
On August 20, Joe is leading a community-based ISO-Coaching Seminar sponsored by Athletes for Others.
Registration is still open for the San Francisco seminar. Please contact
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