By Justin Cheng
Pat Riley, John Wooden, Bill Walsh, Dean Smith, Geno Auriemma. These are all individuals in the sports world synonymous with inspiration, leadership, and motivation. These are leaders of men (and women), who help us reach our greatest aspirations, whether it involves sports or not. Fathers, brothers and paternal figures teach us valuable lessons and have significant impacts on our lives. As my co-author Brent Lee has alluded to in his personal biography, sports are a microcosm of life, and the lessons that we learn can be applied to other facets of our existence.
We at The Bayless Babbles would like to wish everyone a Happy Father's Day to all the fathers -- the first and most important coaches of lives -- as well as the single mothers, who have had to take on the daunting task of raising grown men. This article is a tribute for my best friends' fathers -- and of course my own -- with whom I have had the pleasure of knowing since kindergarten. These men have welcomed me into their homes and have shared their knowledge by teaching me lessons that I will never forget.
BART LAU
The things I have always respected and admired about Vincent Lau's dad is that he is a man of principle and does whatever to provide for his family. Such a strong base of values has raised two similarly family-oriented sons. Whether or not you an athlete, you can greatly appreciate the strong morals that they abide by. Hard work to succeed is not simply something that you can just talk about, rather it is the sacrifice and commitment to whatever cause that you are striving for. You need to have a strong balance of dedication and familial support in order to succeed, and Bart Lau is the epitome of such.
BILL HWONG
Brandon Hwong's dad (pictured right) was my first basketball coach in the third and fourth grades, and I have kept the lessons that I learned from him from day 1. The enthusiasm and intensity that he had for the game was infectious. He instilled a desire to succeed and have fun, which made basketball practices a welcomed mark on my weekly calendars. Throughout grade and high school, his thunderous voice was one of unconditional encouragement, regardless of the score. The lessons of that I have learned from him are priceless and are reflected in many that he has coached.
JULIAN LEE
If there are two things that I learned during my time with Brent Lee's dad, it was discipline and defense. Julian Lee emphasized fundamentals, rather than the flash and glory of the things we saw on tv. I remember a time when I could not defend in basketball, but he took the time to explain why I should be positioning myself between an offensive player and the basket. This lesson was a crucial part of creating the #LockTeam. What did his lesson teach me? Refining skills with careful observation and practice not only applies to sports, but it can be utilized with any area in life one is pursuing.
PETER CHENG
There are endless things that my dad has taught me. Although he is not a man of many words, his support of my athletic pursuits and his own personal interest of sports is the reason why I love the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Cal sports. He first spurred my interest, and first love, of baseball by buying my first glove, catcher's mask, and wooden bat. We spent most of my free time in front of my garage pitching a tennis ball. While I have journeyed on multiple teams in different sports, I have learned about intensity from the sidelines, quite often yelling at the referees about bad calls. (I suppose that is the root cause of all those technicals and flagrant fouls). Whether I did good or bad during the games, my dad was always there, never criticizing or validating my own self-inflicted expectations of having an extraordinary game. He has never missed any of my games throughout grade or high school and will even concede precious nap times, so that I can get to whatever game I have as early as I like. Coming from a poor background, he has taught me the value of hard work, which I have directed to place energy in writing this blog as a thank you for fueling my addiction.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY EVERYBODY!
The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.
For more about the author and the blog (Click Here)
Email: baylessbabbles@gmail.com
Like & Share the articles on Facebook.
Do one of these! Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment