What Your Boys Can Learn from Navy Seal Heroes



Tyrone Woods



Yesterday at dinner I told my boys (14, 12, 7) the story of the two CIA operatives and former Navy Seal veterans who were killed in Libya.  I asked them, "Why do people like that run into the fire when they don't need to, while most people run from the fire?"  As current information would indicate (many details are still unclear), Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were located a mile from the US Embassy when it came under attack.  Against orders from their superiors, they "ran to the fire" and attempted to defend the consulate against an organized and highly armed terrorist attack.  They held off the enemy for up to 7 hours before being killed.



Glen Doherty

My boys were perplexed with this question.  Initially they thought that this is just what men do.  After continuing to probe, they determined by consensus that people in the military "train" to "run into the fire".  And so they concluded, it is practice that prepares a man for moments like these.

They stumbled upon an understanding of something that used to be known by everyone from Aristotle to George Washington, from Thomas Aquinas to John Wooden, but is woefully misunderstood today.  Courage is not a trait that passes from generation to generation through strands of DNA, nor is it the result of an emotionally motivated moment. Rather, courageous action is possible when one deliberately practices it.  Then, when opportunity presents itself, it springs into action naturally, logically, habitually yet heroically.

My boys and I talked about the opportunities in sports to practice such courage.  Since they are all currently playing basketball, we talked about how some of the kids looked for opportunities to "get out of" the conditioning drills or to run them at half speed.  And, we talked about how it is particularly hard to "gut it out" in the last 5 minutes of practice when the coach makes them run lines.  I told them, "it is in these moments, when your legs feel like they are on fire, that your opportunity to practice courage calls to you."

In most youth athletics we should seek to motivate our sons and our players not by fear, but by inspiring them to ascend to a higher plain where choosing courage consistently is not just for short term athletic gain but it is also a necessary step towards a successful manhood.  It is important to constantly challenge our boys in sports and in life with this question, "will you practice to run to the fire or will you accept a life where you will always run from it?"

Remember, how your boy plays on the “fields of friendly strife” will be how he fights the greatest battles of his life.

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