From a young age, children should learn compassion and respect from their parents and teachers, especially towards those in their community.
They should particularly understand how to honor the sacrifices made by those who fought for our freedom.
One way to show respect for the brave men and women who served our country, as well as for the nation itself, is by standing during the playing of the National Anthem. Unfortunately, fewer young people are doing this today.
Buzz Williams, the basketball coach at Virginia Tech, has noticed that many of his players and people in the crowd don’t seem to care when the Anthem is playing.
Instead of standing still and paying attention, many people are looking around or just swaying to the music, which gives the impression that they are bored.
This behavior made Coach Williams upset and angry, prompting him to teach the players a lesson. Now, everyone praises him for his actions.
Coach Williams has observed that many of his players and audience members don’t pay much attention while the National Anthem is being played.
Instead of standing respectfully, they are either glancing around or swaying to the music, which appears disrespectful.
Due to this, Coach Williams became agitated and furious, deciding to teach the players a lesson. His efforts are now widely praised.
This coach knew that he couldn’t instill an appreciation for the National Anthem in every community member.
However, he was determined to instill this appreciation in his players, hoping others would follow his example.
As the proverb goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and Coach Williams was committed to making an impact on his own.
On Veteran’s Day, he demonstrated to the nation how things ought to be done, and the rest of the country followed his lead.
After a brief conversation reminding his players of the significance of showing respect, he instructed them to line up in the center of the court, facing the US veterans.
“These men, when they were your age, interrupted their lives, paused their education, changed their careers, and gave their lives for those chairs,” Williams said.
“So when the anthem is played, we’ll stand like grown men and honor the men like these who gave their lives so we could have a chair to sit in.”
Watching the young men and the veterans stand in front of one another and sing the National Anthem together is likely the most moving thing you’ll see all day.
This touching moment came about because the coach wanted his players to understand the hard work and sacrifices made by others.
Coach Williams exemplifies how a teacher should think and act. He doesn’t just teach his players to be better at basketball; he also teaches them to be better people.