This goes out to the concerned parents of the Stars who did not get elected Captain:
And also…
To the parents of any camper who has ever experienced a blow of disappointment, especially when you think he didn’t deserve it:
Your son is good to go, and he’s better for the experience in the long run. Just ask anyone of the 1,500 grown men on our alumni roster who were not selected.
Here’s what happened last night after the Captains were congratulated…
The 21 Stars who didn’t get chosen were bummed. A couple were stunned or maybe even angry – they were supposed to win. A few were heart broken, at least for now. Some were relieved that the decision was over with.
As they shuffled in, it was a round of “bro hugs” (dap in front + quick embrace) for all. The 223 brothers and 131 staff members surrounded them with love, with most having at least some understanding of how it might feel when things don’t go your way at an important time. The Stars who were disappointed swallowed back tears and carried on with carrying on.
They stayed to clean up the room, carrying benches and picking up trash. Physical activity, especially when you can keep your eyes down, is helpful when you need to sort out emotions.
Heading back to Sky II, many walked together arm-and-arm. They laughed and joked, added a bit of teenage sarcasm, and perhaps talked about things going as expected or conversely how they should have gone.
Bottom line…they bounced back.
Psychologists call it a “coping mechanism”. The writers of articles on parenting call it “resilience”. We look at as “learning to play the cards that you’re dealt”.
We’re never too old or young for exercising our “disappointment muscle”.
Most importantly, those who were not elected will learn a powerful life-lesson over the next 5 days.
That is…You don’t need a title to be a leader.
Think about it. In politics, it’s often the cabinet members and staff who make it happen. In the workplace, sometimes the CEO or chairperson is more of a figurehead than a motivator. In sports, the unsung hero is just about always the most valuable on the team.
Today at lunch the Captains will announce who they’ve selected as Lieutenants for each Division. Again, some boys will be disappointed. The adults watching will cringe when the same top athletes who were chosen last year get picked again. Why not give someone else a chance, we’ll wonder? We will be the ones disappointed when we believe that a poor decision was made by the Captains.
Then we remember…you don’t need a title to be the leader of the team.
