Guest Writer: Coach Cynthia Lyons, Community Fall Pep Rally Speech
Good
evening!
First let me
say thank you to the Mr. Weidler and the Cougar Club for asking me to speak. I
am honored to be here tonight. My name is Cynthia Lyons and I am not only the
high school swimming coach but the Palmyra aquatic club coach as well. My
husband Stephen and I have two children in the district, Peyten who is a
sophomore and Stephen who is in Mr. Brinser's 5th grade class at Forge. I have
to be honest with you; I tried to hide this from my kids knowing they would be
embarrassed that I was speaking. Peyten found out at the hockey play day last
weekend and she proceeded to tell most of the hockey team she was horrified and
embarrassed. Their words of wisdom for tonight, Mrs. Lyons, please keep it
short, so I will do my best.
I don't know
about you all but I spent 2 weeks this summer sitting in front of the TV
watching the summer Olympics. I watched Lebanon County’s own Jamie Gray win a
gold medal in the 50 meter 3 position rifle. I watched Michael Phelps become
the most decorated Olympian in history. I watched a woman; decorated in full
religious garb, compete as the first woman from her country to participate in
the Olympics. I watched a double amputee, a man with no legs; compete against
runners with 2 natural legs in individual and relay events. Some of these
people won gold medals; silver medals, even bronze medals, but some won no
medals at all. But, in my book, all of them were champions. How honored I feel
tonight to be able to speak to you about what it means to be a champion.
How blessed
Palmyra is to have just as many champions here as I watched this summer.
Palmyra has had baseball, field hockey, and soccer state champion teams. We
have had district winning teams and district individual winners. We have league
champions and, of course, we have many game winners throughout each season.
And, as you should know, we are the 2 years running Lebanon Daily News most
winning school district in Lebanon County.
All of which
sounds great, but are all of them champions? I argue yes. Do you have to be an
athlete to be a champion? Definitely not!
Champions are
awesome in the classroom. Make sure you study hard. Go see your teachers. If
you have questions, don't wait until the night before your exam to get help.
You have to make sure that you are prepared for a quiz, even if you don't think
you will have one. Athletes, band members, Envirothon members, or CTC students,
without being a champion in the classroom, you'll never be able to perform at a
higher level.
Champions
realize there is a commitment to being a great. You have to be ready to make
all of the necessary sacrifices that it takes to become a champion. Show your
true colors and work hard. Coaches love hard workers, not excuses. Even when
its hard, keep going even when others want to throw in the towel, don't. If you
train hard and prepare well then you will perform at your peak. Even after a
tough game, won or lost, be the first person at practice the next day! As the
great Coach K once said, champions are made not born.
Champions are
creative. You must think outside the box. You can't be carbon copy of someone
else; you must be your own person. Come up with your own ideas and share them
with others, be original. Learn from the best but modify what you learn to fit
your own needs. Be unique. Champions want to learn from the best and help those
who aren't. You are leaders, not followers.
Champions
accept nothing less than excellence. Excellence does not mean winning all of
the time. It means putting forth the best effort you can at all times. A
champion always works on getting better. It means that when you don't win, its
not the loss that counts as much as the reaction to it. Even in defeat, learn
more from a loss than you do from a win. Use the loss as a lesson. Use
adversity as an opportunity to get better. Be tough, and be great.
Unfortunately, in today’s society, we stress winning so much and then when our
kids don't win, they don't know how to lose. I used to watch the way John
McEnroe would act during his matches. Winning or losing he would yell at the
umpires, scream at his opponents, and throw his racquets. That is never the way
to act! Champions win well and lose better.
Champions
never quit. Far too many games have been lost because the team gave up way too
early. This summer, the US women’s soccer team was deadlocked 3-3 in overtime
in a game against Canada. If they win, they play for the gold. Just seconds
before the referee blew his whistle to send the game into penalty kicks Alex
Morgan headed in the game-winning goal. As most of us know, the US team went on
to beat the world champion Japanese to take the gold. Why did they win? Because
they never gave up, champions don't quit.
A champion is
someone who cares about those around them. You are prepared for everything on
the field, now be prepared for off of the field as well. Students, don't forget
to thank your family and supporters. For years they have been driving you back
and forth to practices, they have picked up everything you forgot to bring,
they washed your uniforms, they have supported all of your efforts. They have
sat in the warm sun and the cold snow just to watch you be a good team member.
Take nothing for granted; thank them more often!
Champions are
kind; help others and are good role models. Champions give back to their
community. You must know that helping others makes you a better person. Know
that you are always being watched, and you should act accordingly. As student
athletes or students participating in other events, you have to know that you
are role models to so many young children. To the parents or spectators, you are
role models, too. Not only to your children, but so many others as well. You
have to know that your reactions are always being heard and seen. As a coach
and a referee I know for a fact that we don't always make decisions that you
like. However, it is never our goal to hurt anyone! Referees are put on the
field to make on the fly decisions that help to keep the games fair. So many of us don't act like champions when
we disagree with the coaches or the referees. Next time, remember that there
are always others around watching our behavior. Act like champions, be nice, be
thankful.
Remember to
pay it forward! You have to realize how important it is to help the next group
to come through Palmyra! You have to know how much what you do affects others!
So tonight we are going to do just that, pay it forward.
Recently I was
inspired by a story of a young man from KY, Aaron Collins, who I consider to be
a true champion and who suddenly passed away of July 7th. Aaron paid it
forward. Aaron's family found a letter on his computer that told them what to
do with his possessions. And, then he wrote, "Third, leave an awesome tip.
I don't mean 25%, I mean $500 on a pizza.” So they did just that; they left an unexpectant
waitress a $500 tip. This was a random act of paying it forward. They taped it
and put it on you tube, and as a result $50,000 has been sent to Aaron's family
from people being touched by Aaron's story. Aaron's brother Seth said this is
not about the money it's about random acts of kindness, unexpected kindness
from a stranger. This is what champions do.
So, I have
tweaked Aaron's wish just a bit. I contacted Aaron's family about this and they
were thrilled, so I've given the captains a task which they have been working
on for the last 10 minutes. These students were chosen by their teammates and
coaches to be leaders to leave a footprint. They were given an envelope full of
cash and the opportunity to keep it and split amongst themselves or pay it
forward. If they chose to pay it forward they had to pick a charity to donate
it to. So we are going to find out what their decision is now. Are you keeping
the money? I think that deserves a round of applause. If you chose to, you will
also have the chance to donate to the captains’ charity. As you leave tonight,
you will see containers by the gates, and you can drop your donations
there.
So in closing,
thank you for coming tonight, and I challenge all of you go out, work hard to be
champions! Good luck and Go Cougars!
