Note: Outgoing HSAA president Chuck Hendricks gave the closing comments at the 2007 HSAA All-Sports Banquet in Dallas, which was attended by 185 athletes and parents. Chuck stepped down as president on July 1, 2007. Here is the text of that speech:
My Charge to HSAA
by Chuck Hendricks
May 8, 2007
We will be known as His disciples by our love for one another.
John 13:35: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
But sports does not seem like love; sports is conflict.
James 4:1-2: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something, but you don’t get it.
No one gets what they want all the time in sports. You don’t get to set schedules; you don’t get to name your team; you don’t get to decide your playing time; you don’t get to show up whenever it’s best for your family; you don’t get to choose with whom you play; you don’t even get to choose your coach; and in every contest, one team is going to win and one team is going to lose.
Out of this context, and out of 12 years of observing homeschool sports rather intimately, I have the following words for you, my friends:
First, to you Parents: It is hard for homeschool families to work together. We’ve chosen to reserve control of family life and not give it to the school system. That spills over into sports. Sports requires families and players to give up some control. It requires us to yield to rules we may not always think are best for our family. But if HSAA has no rules, we will have no respect. If we have no respect, we will have no schools to play against. Without schools to play against, we are just a recreation program for ourselves.
HSAA’s future success will depend on two things: (1) It will depend on the Board and coaches to remind families of this in a loving, yet consistent way; and (2) It will depend on families seeing the value in giving up a measure of control over family decisions for the greater good of the team and for the long-term good of HSAA.
Second, to you Players: The lesson of giving up what’s best for me and doing what’s best for the team is a very hard lesson to learn. Homeschooling is, perhaps, a hindrance in some ways to learning this important lesson in life. Team sports helps you learn it. Sometimes the hard way. Don’t quit because you don’t get what you want. Instead you should ask: What is God teaching me through this? That is how you will become mature adults.
Third, to you Coaches: The key to your success will be learning to manage conflict in a healthy and God-honoring way. You must anticipate issues, and you must take the initiative to communicate with your families in a way that resolves conflict positively. It is not easy, but like most hard things, it’s worth it. Failure to do so will certainly destroy your team and damage HSAA, perhaps irreparably.
Finally, to Dave Sileven and my fellow Board Members: Like in sports, volunteer organizations have to have some element of fun for the leadership. Or no one will do it. Selecting coaches for our children, and setting policies that advance the twin goals of improving our reputation in the wider community, and strengthening our competitiveness, is difficult and often thankless work. Don’t forget to include some fun for yourselves along the way. It has been fun for me. And the most satisfying part for me has been the opportunity to work side by side with each of you, to honor Jesus Christ in sports.
In closing, it is my prayer for HSAA that all of you---for you are HSAA---will be characterized by the love of Jesus Christ. That’s what it’s all about.
Dallas HSAA is a homeschool sports organization that serves the Dallas / North Texas areas.