Coaches Corner
Coach Versey’s Lewiston Football Blog
4-3-2022
UNDEFEATED
An Open Letter to The Lewiston Blue Devil Football Players
By Coach Versey
Dear Blue Devil Football Brotherhood,
We are all seemingly emerging from a long tough Winter that has been riddled by Covid and its variances, high oil and gas prices, massive increases in energy, inflation for food, goods and services and a war in Europe that threatens the very peace of the world. As Mainers, we remain hard working, resilient, optimistic and gritty but these are definitely difficult times, the stress is real, and I know that you and your families are feeling the weight of these difficult times. There are many of you struggling with personal issues and tough circumstances right now which has prompted me to write you this letter.
Football is a perfect metaphor for the real-life challenges that we face every day. The game of football is full of adversity, struggle and opportunities for perseverance. So is the game of life. In football and in life we all must learn to deal with our emotions in a healthy productive way to handle the highs and lows that ultimately come our way. It’s our response (regardless of what the scoreboard or scoreboard of life tells us) that will always determine our ability to stay UNDEFEATED.
I know a lot of you are going through some tough stuff right now. Many of you have shared with me the tough things you are experiencing. I commend your courage and ability to talk with me about them because you should never have to feel alone as you face difficult times. Adversity is part of life, we must all endure it, one way or the other, but you don’t have to do it alone. I am here for you; my staff is here for you and your teammates are here for you. We are a FAMILY. And like a family we will help and love each other through our difficult times. There is an old Somali proverb that says. “If you cannot be a Mountain, then lean on one.” We need to lean on each other. I want to tell you something I tell my own sons when they are going through tough times because it’s important that you face your adversity with the right mindset.
Adversity, as it turns out, is simply a litmus test of our spirit. I’ve learned not to begrudge it. It’s where the greatest spiritual and emotional work is forged within us. When we come out on the other side of our adversity (and we will) that’s when we receive the truest of gifts. It’s the gift of knowing exactly who and what we are truly made of. And, in my humble opinion, it’s worth the fee of admission every single time. A good education is never free, and the greatest education one can receive is from the University of Adversity. To be UNDEFEATED doesn't mean we never fail, fall or falter. It simply means we refuse to give up, surrender or quit trying.
Football games will come and go but as young men under my tutelage and care I want you all to remain UNDEFEATED in life. So, I am going to arm you with 6 powerful things that will help you deal with your struggles and adversity when they come your way.
Here is some time-tested wisdom that always lift me up and out of my dark difficult times when adversity comes knocking on my door.
1. When you get knocked down, make a conscious decision to get up. Whenever we make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don't look back at it too long. Mistakes are life's way of teaching us. Our capacity for the occasional blunder is inseparable from our capacity to reach our goals. Our failures, when they happen, are just part of our growth. Shake it off. There is an old Japanese Proverb that says, "Fall seven times, stand up eight.” The bible says in Proverbs “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again”. No matter your struggle today; find the courage within yourself to get back up again. You are only defeated when you believe you are. Tweak your perspective. Understand that there will be, in many cases, a purpose found in our pain. Problems can often be providence in disguise. All things good and bad, problematic, and praiseworthy teach us wisdom that is life sustaining and guiding. With the right perspective, patience, insight, and hindsight, we can find the strength to push through and beyond the pain that eventually teaches us that our troubles are simply part of our universal experience that is molding the very essence of our human spirit. As long as we breathe, we will be shaped by our problems but it’s our responses to them that truly defines us. It's like the hard calluses that form on our hands as we keep chopping wood. As we keep chopping away at the struggles of our life it’s our spiritual resolve that grows stronger and more durable in the long run but that can only happen if we continue to make the choice to get up.
2. Let go of the past. You can look back at your past misfortune with two points of view; both will impact the person you become. You can dwell on yesterday’s adversity and stay idle where you are, defeated. Or you can recognize the hardship for what it was, learn from it and move onward…unconquered. Being a victim or a victor is a matter of personal choice. I promise, you are much more than your mistakes, much bigger than your failures and much more beautiful than your ugliest moment. The stumbles we experience in life may shame us or humble us with valuable tough lessons, but they will never define who we truly are. No matter your mistake…it’s important to remember that YOU are someone’s light in the darkness; a beacon of love and hope in this world and that truth should ALWAYS supersede the superficial imperfections we erroneously internalize. Yesterday’s pain is not worth reliving. We can’t have a better today if we’re still thinking and wringing our hands about what happened yesterday. We have all made mistakes and we have all had bad things happen to us. At some point we must stop dwelling on them and move forward. I often say, “It’s impossible to sprint into the providential arms of what is ahead…if we continue to trip on what is behind.” It’s crucial that we press onward…UNDEFEATED.
3. Try Forgiveness. Don’t dwell upon the transgressions and mistakes you made yesterday. Doing so gives us very little strength or energy for living positively today. Never (ever) believe in the thought that whatever yesterday’s transgression was/is can prevent you from living a right, pure and good life today. Let go of the past and begin today correctly, by living it better than yesterday. Again, we all make mistakes. Ask for forgiveness from others, forgive yourself and then...full steam ahead. Darkness has no greater companion than an unforgiven or unforgiving heart. I always say, “A dove will never nest in a burning tree and love can never reside in an unforgiving heart.”
4. Do not fall prey to self-pity. It’s ok to recognize your failures when they happen but don’t dwell on them too long. Instead, focus on the successes you have had in your life. If you’ve done it once, you can do it again. Build on that. Letting thoughts of past failures define you are nothing but dream killing distractions. I have learned that if you internalize every disappointing setback with contempt and self-loathing, a life of solitary confinement and discontentment awaits you. It’s a verdict indicted by a prosecution, deliberated by a jury, and condemned by a judge…all three being YOU. We imprison ourselves when we allow outside negative circumstances and people dictate who we are. You can dwell in that cell…but only you can exonerate you. Remember this, self-pity is the sworn enemy of your ambition. It is the number one killer of your aspirations and goals. Give it a foothold in your life and you’ll chase away every dream, dreamt and every friend, friended.
5. Believe in yourself. There are things you should never give up on like your convictions and ambitions but most importantly…you should never give up on you. Keep making those sacrifices, keep running that race, keep advancing beyond your struggles to your eventual goal. You will deeply value your triumphs if they’re not handed to you. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is worth having or attaining without labor and toil. So, when you’re in your darkest hour and the road seems endless, no matter what, never stop believing in yourself. Never give up on you…because only you will see you through.
Keep this in mind, the rhythm of the heart...beats twice. Thump, thump. Once, first for itself and then once again for the rest of the body. It's a true metaphor for us. Like the heart we must pump life giving love and care for ourselves first, before extending that gift out to others. The heartbeat of every worthwhile relationship begins with a healthy, humble understanding and appreciation of our own personal self-worth. When we do this the power to truly love and appreciate others pulsates fluidly and freely into all those, we warmly choose to share our lives with.
And lastly, 6. Be a Balm not a Bomb. To stay UNDEFEATED during our difficult times we must learn to be balms not bombs. Financial stress, family stress, social stress, school stress, relational stress, and other struggles can all be compounding pressures that can make our tempers react and explode like a bomb. When we respond in this fashion it dramatically intensifies these already difficult situations and creates massive emotional destruction with the collateral damage always being the ones, we say we love. It destroys, maims, and kills our relationships. Blowing up is often a selfish, immature response to our stresses and should always be avoided. Therefore, instead I encourage us all to be more like balms. A balm is like a gentle word that protects and soothes an already irritated situation with understanding and forgiveness. It provides relief and healing when applied generously. A balm creates an environment that allows you and the ones you love to remain UNDEFEATED.
I want you all to know that you are ALL MY GUYS. I am here for you no matter what. We all need to lean on someone from time to time. I want you all to know that you can lean on me. As we emerge out of Winter and into Spring we must continue to persevere and continue to be hopeful and enthusiastic about the future. The future is so bright guys. We can endure ANYTHING as long as we stick together.
Much Love, Admiration, and Respect,
Coach Versey
Head Football Coach
Lewiston High School
“WE ARE ONE!”