Often [friend-centeredness] results, finally, in his losing the very thing desired, as he strives to become all things to all people. He ends up becoming nothing to everyone, including himself.
There’s a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It’s not something you can give; it’s something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can’t do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.
…I realize that, these days, a guy like Coach Graham might get thrown out of a youth sports league. He’d be too tough. Parents would complain.
…It saddens me that many kids today are so coddled.