Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of mistakes and how they affect my life and the lives of those around me. What role should they play in our lives? How do I allow mistakes to shape the way I view myself, my family, my students, our coaches, the members of our community… the list goes on.
As I write this, I am five days away from the birth of my first child. By the time you are reading this, she will be about a week old. While I am beyond excited to meet her, I can’t help but mourn the mistakes I know I will make as I learn how to be a good father figure for her. Subconsciously, I know this is the driving force behind why I have been thinking so much about this idea.
On the baseball field, I expect excellence out of my players. I spent a majority of my first season questioning if my expectations were too high or if I created a space where failure was imminent because of my unrealistic expectations. The more I thought about it and prepped for the upcoming season, the more I realized that I was asking the wrong question. What I should have been asking is how I reacted to my players’ mistakes AND how they were reacting to them. Had I created an environment where mistakes were used as tools to propel further growth, or were they only seen as a negative consequence of failing to achieve excellence? Was this, by chance, reflective of the way that I viewed the mistakes I’ve made in the past?
I have come to understand that choosing to run from your mistakes rather than taking ownership of them can only lead to two things: a lack of growth or change, and anxiety. It sounds strange, but somehow, mistakes are part of what makes us unique. They are evidence that we are truly alive and help us to find confidence in our own identity.
Please do not misunderstand me. Mistakes are not good. Mistakes should not be excused (specifically thinking about the baseball field). Mistakes should not be without consequences. But shouldn’t a thing that isn’t good at least be redemptive? And shouldn’t we be the kind of people who, in our pursuit of Goodness and excellence, are willing to face our failures head on and allow them to teach us, change us, and let Christ’s grace transform us?
I hope that Front Range can be a place where students feel that they can safely make mistakes. Where athletes are not afraid to fail when faced with a daunting challenge. Where teachers are empowered to try innovative lessons, knowing they may completely flop. Where fans see the human in officials, not just their poor calls. May this be a place where students seek out wise and intentional individuals who can counsel them on how to grow from their mistakes. May students recognize that they are not defined by their mistakes or their bad decisions, but by how they choose to meet those moments head on in order to grow from them.
