Big League Dad Huddle gives dads glimpse of Cardinals, life lessons
Sep 8, 2016, 2:57 PM | Updated: Nov 6, 2017, 2:58 pm
Last month a group of fathers and sons had a weekday afternoon unlike any other. Hearing life lessons and watching a Super Bowl contender practice, the Big League Dad Huddle provided a unique experience.
On the club level at University of Phoenix Stadium, Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, Arizona Sports’ Ron Wolfley, and pastor and former NFL quarterback Travis Brown each spoke and told stories of things they have learned from being involved with the game of football.
Keim, a father of four (ranging in age from 3 to 10) started off talking about how important your job as a father is. He summed it up nicely by saying, “the job will always be there but your kids won’t.”
As a father, it’s important to find a balance between your time on the job and your time at home. Your children need and depend on you to be a strong figure in their life.
Another item Keim touched on was evaluating people. He cited the drafting of Tyrann Mathieu. It will forever change his mindset in how he thinks about potential players and people he comes across in general.
The lesson: keep an open mind to each and every individual.
Our very own Wolf drew back on a strategy, if you will, that he had going into his first training camp. It had three parts and while No. 3 isn’t exactly how he had it drawn up, it’s along those lines.
- Respect everyone.
- Shut your mouth
- Attack what you want in life.
Then, Travis Brown capped off the event discussing what we have in the past as part of Big League Dad, what is takes to be a R.E.A.L. man.
The definition of what a R.E.A.L. man is.
A R.E.A.L. man Rejects passivity. He steps up and confronts issues and decisions that need attention.
A R.E.A.L man Empathizes with others. It is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, understanding their perspective and where they may be coming from. This doesn’t mean there will always be agreement.
A R.E.A.L. man Accepts responsibility. Someone that recognizes their mistakes or failures. As a dad, you are responsible for raising your kids and what goes on in your home.
A R.E.A.L. man Leads courageously. As a father, you are a leader. But are you leading your family and others to good or bad? Do you make others better?
And he ended with two points not just every dad should keep in mind, but every person.
First, the conditions will rarely be ideal but the expectations don’t change.
And lastly, what you do as a dad matters. Not just today, but for the next generation.
