Friday Night Lights

Almost every high school across America has a season when football is played and Friday Night Lights permeate the atmosphere. Fans gather together adorned in school colors, ready to cheer on their team. Some come for the competition, and others come to watch a specific player or to be a part of the social environment. Regardless of their reason for being there, for a few hours on a Friday night the spirit of the evening unites those in attendance.

I speak from experience. I am guilty of counting down the days until the first scrimmage and then eagerly awaiting each Friday night until playoffs. As the mother of the team’s kicker I find it extra exciting, but it’s also mixed with nerves. I mean, knowing the game could come down to a field goal when your son is the kicker can be pretty nerve-racking.

We came close to this a few weeks ago during a nail-biting game when the decision came to go for it on a fourth down or try to kick a field goal. As always during any game, those in the stands had mixed opinions on what the coach should do, and his decision to go for it was met with cheers from some and disapproval from others. And, when the play was not successful and the team turned the ball over, those who disagreed with the coaching decision were vocal. It was then that I thought about “Friday night lights” from the coach’s perspective and how it compares to teaching.

A football coach makes hundreds of in-the-moment decisions that all affect the outcome of the game. A decision to go for it or kick a field goal is made based on timing, talent, weather, distance, the score, and more. What the coach does not consider is the opinions of those in the stands. My son’s coach knows with almost every coaching decision he makes that some people will agree with him and some won’t, but he uses his professional knowledge of the sport and his players and makes decisions he thinks are in the best interest of the team. In this case, it didn’t work out, but that didn’t make him give up in defeat; he set it aside and kept moving forward.

We do it, too. Every day we are with students, we make in-the-moment decisions based on multiple factors. Sometimes we experience a win, and other times we need to reevaluate and come up with a new game plan. What I learned from reflecting on the coach’s perspective is how confidence aids success. He knows with almost 100 percent certainty he is not going to win every game in his career, and yet this knowledge doesn’t make him second-guess every decision. He moves forward with confidence. How freeing to be confident enough to make a decision and move forward.

In the spirit of Friday night lights, I challenge you this next week to move forward in confidence when working with your students. You know your students, the content, and the intricacies of each situation better than anyone. Make decisions in the best interest of your students, with the assurance that you can readjust if needed, and watch success ensue.