When I Am Irresponsible

When I am Irresponsible

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt was written by me and was sent to my middle school tennis players and their parents last night.  The scripture is Luke 12:48 . . . From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

 

When I am irresponsible, someone else has to pay the price.  When you are irresponsible, someone else has to pay the price. 

 

Today we left out 13 tennis balls on courts 1 and 2.  I had assumed that we had picked them all up.  Two high school players were playing on court 2 when I left practice.  On Monday of this week they had left quite a few balls out on those courts, and I informed Coach Voges who made them go back and pick them up.  Today as I walked by I reminded them again to pick up all of the tennis balls when they were finished.

 

After those two players finished and went down to courts 5 and 6 with the other varsity players, they only picked up the 3 balls that they brought up there.  When I walked back by courts 1 and 2, I went and picked up 13 tennis balls.  I was slightly angered.  I didn't handle it well, and I made a scene with those two high school players.   Both of those guys played 3 years for me in the middle school, and I really love them and think the world of them.  When I asked them why they didn't pick up those balls, one responded and said, "Those were the middle school players' balls."

 

I was disappointed on two levels.  I was disappointed in our current team that was irresponsible.   Whoever is given much, much is expected.  We are given so much by getting to go to McCallie, yet we have an entitlement issue when we are too lazy to pick up after ourselves.  I was also disappointed in our former middle school players that would not cover for our irresponsibility.  The mindset that those balls were the middle school players' tennis balls is also an entitlement issue.  I thought those were McCallie's tennis balls, and I thought all of us were on the same team and wanted to take care of what we had been given.  

 

I cannot tell you how many tennis balls that I have picked up at McCallie that I did not leave out.  I cannot tell you how much trash that I have picked up that I did not leave on the courts.  Every person on the middle school and high school team should take pride about our facilities and look to pick up all of our tennis balls and trash.   We have been given much, and we need to be a good steward of what God has given us.

 

When I am irresponsible, someone else has to pay the price.  When you are irresponsible, someone else has to pay the price.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining