GROWTH

Every day my wife, who is a second-grade teacher, tells her class, “You can change the world by changing someone's world.” She emphasizes that each day we have choices – choices to do good and kind things or choices to do unproductive and unkind things – and these decisions change our world, even though they seem minor. 

I firmly believe this is true. I believe it is impossible to stay “in neutral,” so to speak. As a basketball coach, I often say the same thing: each day we are either getting better as a team or getting worse. We are either progressing toward our goal or taking steps backward. I believe this is true in our lives and the world as a whole. We are changing our world daily through our choices and actions, and every choice and action is significant.

If we accept this is true – that every moment is meaningful – and that every conversation and relationship is important, then we must act accordingly. 

When we started The Athletes’ Table, we had a vision to see communities around the world use sport for all it is worth; however the pathway to get there was blurry. We knew sport was extremely powerful and had incredibly unique peacebuilding and development potential, but we were unsure how we would utilize it outside of simply working to ensure communities worldwide had access to sport itself. 

After two years of working on the ground and experiencing the hopelessness that derives from a lack of sport options, quality coaching, and creative outlets, we settled on a model that we believe “wrings sport dry” for all it’s worth. We believe all three parts of our model genuinely have the potential to change the world.

Access to Sport

First, we believe in our original founding principle: all communities deserve access to sport. We believe that access to sport alone can change someone's world. Sport is intrinsically valuable through its tremendous mental and physical health benefits. Moving our bodies is productive, and when we move our bodies with purpose, we add a layer of goal-setting and imagination into the mix. That is why our first and foremost priority in any community and partnership is to ensure regular opportunities to participate in sport are available for everyone in the community.

Access to Coaching

Our second world-changing principle is our coach-training program: “Coaching Hope.” A popular quote by the Reverend Billy Graham reads, “A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.” This quote is interesting to me because Rev. Graham does not specify that coaches are positively impacting people's lives; rather, he is simply acknowledging that coaches have the unique responsibility of having numerous young people placing a lot of their trust and life direction in their hands.

We know how vital a mentor can be in changing someone's world. That's why we invest so much time and energy into ensuring we are training coaches that maximize their impact by positively mentoring young people across the world. A great coach is undoubtedly a world changer. It is an important responsibility worth investing our time and resources into. Our program centers around the framework developed by the 3-Dimensional Institute, which ensures coaches are transformational rather than transactional by coaching athletes in all three dimensions: the body, the mind, and the spirit or heart. There is loads of research supporting the fact that coaches who coach beyond the first dimension of the body, that is, the “x’s and o’s” of their game, are getting better results. Players recognize they are playing for something bigger than wins or losses. This type of coaching is what will change numerous lives in a year, inarguably making our world a better place.

Storytelling

The final piece of our model is storytelling. This is something that probably feels out of place for an organization seemingly so centered around sport. However, storytelling is an integral part of sport, who we are, and what we do. We wholeheartedly believe that story has and will continue to change our world. Sport, for so many, has been a way of self-expression: an outlet to display their creativity, skills, determination, grit, and so much more. It has been the canvas for which they show the world who they are. It is why sport is frequently so inspiring; we get to see peoples’ stories lived out on a field or court and get to know them as we cheer for their triumph or grieve their defeat with them. We become invested in their story and the narrative of the game being played. It inspires us to share our stories of triumph and sadness with boldness. It proves that each voice and each story is worth listening to and that anyone coming from anywhere can achieve their dreams.

It is why we are called The Athletes’ Table: we gather and listen to all of these stories, empowering one another to have the courage to dream new dreams and write new stories, and collaborate on how we can solve complex problems and creatively change the world for the better. 

Storytelling is the backbone of who we are, and it is what inspires us to keep working and keep pursuing the vision and goals we have. We hope our story inspires you to come along on our journey and be a part of our story. We know the power of sport and are excited to see what it makes possible.

Sport can change the world.

Our theme for 2023 will be, Sport Can Change the World. We are so excited to share with you the stories of athletes around the world and experience the incredible moments of joy and hope that will come from our projects and your support. Stay tuned for all of the cool new merch you can buy to support The Athletes’ Table this year and how you can continue to be involved as a teammate.

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Written by Jonah German 2/9/2023