Serving others has always been where my greatest joy resides. Trying to help others drove me to education & coaching and ultimately kept me there for many years. You are probably in the same boat if you are still reading my third post.
After 6yrs as a building principal, my passion for serving others had not waivered one ounce.
What did waiver was my ability to maintain a healthy relationship with school leadership and my own life. Our daily dance had become a little more like a mosh pit at a POD concert from the 90s.
Shouldering the load was more than I could handle.
As a strong believer in Jesus and committed to living out my purpose as a Christian, I know work is not everything.
WORK CAN NOT BE EVERYTHING.
My legacy as a father, husband, brother, son, and friend is far more important to me than my legacy as a principal.
That may be an unpopular opinion, yet I hold to it firmly.
Do I love kids and serving others for a higher cause? YES...but am I willing to give up my family for it? Not anymore.
Our careers must not define who we are as individuals.
Relationships must define who we are as individuals...and I believe that must start with your own heart & home.
I only have my kids for a few years. I must cherish those bonds, and I could not do both as a school leader.
Many school leaders can and have.
It is & was probably my own doing and fault; my own issues and lack of balance.
I also did not let on to the challenges I faced. I wanted to come across as strong and capable. I did not want my peers to know how much I was struggling. I started journaling, sought after therapy, and started on medication. Each of these things helped, but it was not enough for me.
If you have found the ability to manage the dance, Awesome!
Celebrate it and help others find that rhythm.
In April of 2022, I spent four days in Washington, DC, at the NASSP Principal of Year conference. I was surrounded by over 50 of the strongest educational leaders in the country.
The collaboration and energy were strong and encouraging. Yet, I still had this ongoing thought that despite all the support and training, I'd continue to feel the weight of the world on my shoulders,
...but I did not know what else I could do to find purpose and meaning in work.
I had known Kristen through various Kansas principal events over the years; we even did a presentation together, but we hadn't talked much. Kristen was the 2021 Kansas Principal of the year and had recently joined the Generation Esports team.
We connected while in DC, and my eyes were opened to what esports can be for kids...through ways and means that I can only attribute to the workings of God, the right doors were opened, and pathways cleared for me to consider joining the team.
Kristen, in MANY ways, saved my life.
I had heard of esports...but I'd never considered working for an esports company. I honestly didn't really like the idea of esports.
My parents were not fans of us playing video games growing up. We had to go to friends' homes to play Contra and Excite Bike as kids...As an adult, I knew peers who played and "gamed' yet I never understood the appeal (I'm told that I just haven't found the right game yet...I say try me!).
What I did know about gaming were all my negative perceptions and distorted views.
Redbull and Doritos in a dimly lit basement.
I did not yet see the teamwork, collaboration, school spirit, and personal growth that many have experienced from gaming.
I needed a shift in perception.
I needed a Kristen to open my eyes to what gaming can be in the hands of a caring adult.
I learned that gaming, much like traditional sports & activities, can teach the same life lessons I wanted my kids to learn from Baseball, Choir, Wrestling, etc....
I wanted my kids to learn how to be coached and to preserve when life is hard.
I wanted my kids to learn how to overcome adversity and problem solve to new heights.
Gaming can do those things and more.
Gaming can hook kids at a level that schools previously had not been doing.
Enter Generation Esports....a group of kid-first individuals who have a passion for providing
youth with a pathway and direction that previously did not exist.
A bunch of educators who love kids and want to support kids where they are.
I have a strong personal mission in the gaming world...it comes in the form of my close friend, Anthony.
Anthony is no longer with us. He had gone on to his heavenly reward.
Anthony was a gamer. It is now part of my mission to support other guys like Anthony.
So, why Esports?
Because kids deserve it. Every kid deserves to feel and experience a place of meaning and purpose.
Esports can be the missing piece for a kid who has felt disconnected and unseen.
Am I now a gamer...no...yet I love bringing gaming to others and hearing the stories from families and schools on the incredible transformations that are occurring when kids' passions are ignited.
Just last week I spoke with a high school senior who told me how he never fit in during high school; that his best friend were those he played Rocket League with, he was so excited to know that others were hopefully going to be able to have what he didn't in school. He wanted to be a part of a group. He wanted to carry the pride of his school on a jersey. He wanted to have pride in his school.
A big part of what I do is educate and teach. I teach others what esports is supposed to be.
A community and a place where ALL kids can belong.
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