Amazing Message: Brad McCoy about Colt I had the opportunity to hear Colt McCoys Dad speak this

Tuesday morning to the Dallas Christian Leadership rayer Break!ast" The break!ast is an annual break!ast that #as started by Tom Landry and other Dallas leaders o$er %& years ago and the speakers are usually amazing" Colt McCoy and his Dad' Brad' #ere supposed to deli$er a combined message( ho#e$er' Colt became sick on Monday and could not )oin his Dad on Tuesday morning" In the end' it #as a blessing because Brad McCoy deli$ered a message on raising Colt and his t#o other boys that #as truly amazing* The cli!! notes are belo#" I took copious notes because he pre!aced his speech by stating' I am going to talk about the !our principles #ith #hich #e raised our three boys" They are incredibly applicable to us as parents +regardless o! the se, o! our children- and they made a signi!icant mark on my heart" Brad McCoy said that he and his #i!e raised their children according to the !ollo#ing !our principles: 1. Prepare your child for the path, not the path for your child. Brad said this is not )ust !or our kids . it is !or us as parents" The road is rough' narro# and hard to !ind" /e ha$e a book +the Bible-' a map $is.0.$is the Bible and 1od to help us" /e must prepare oursel$es and our kids !or moments in li!e #hen doors open and close" 2e cited ro$erbs 33:4: 5Train a child in the #ay he should go' and #hen he is old he #ill not turn !rom it"6 2e also cited' almost in )est but also in reality' ro$erbs 37:87' 5Do not #ithhold discipline !rom a child( i! you punish him #ith the rod' he #ill not die"6 It #as a !unny contrast' but a real contrast" 2e then said' 5Dads' !ight !or your kids' prepare them*6 2. Prepare to be our best. This #as one o! the !our McCoy !amily mottos" 2e cited 8 Corinthians 9:3%' 5Do you not kno# that in a race allthe runners run' but only one gets the prize: ;un in such a #ay as to get the prize"6 2e stated that e$ery day he #ould take his kids to school' and upon them e,ited the car' he #ould say to them' 5Do your best and be a leader*6 2e said that they listened e$ery time and e$en as they got older +%th' <th and 4th grades- he #ould repeat these #ords e$en i! they said' 5=eah' =eah' Dad' I kno#' do your best and be a leader*6 2e said that as a coach !or 3> years' he #ould al#ays lead his team onto the !ield and lea$e his team at e$ery practice #ith the chant' 5?,pect to /in' lay to /in"6 And he implored us as parents to instill the same attitude in our homes and in our children" 2e cited @im Collins book' 1ood to 1reat' stating that good is the enemy o! 1reat* /e dont aim high and miss . as #e #ould like to belie$e" In !act' most times' #e aim lo# and hit the mark* As parents' he implored us not to aim lo#* Aim high*** 3. Be a Leader . 2e stated that #e are surrounded by such a great cloud o! #itnesses . great leaders that #e can dra# !rom and that our kids can dra# !rom" 2e said #e are all at the mercy o! time and money and asked a rhetorical Auestion: 52o# do you spend your time and money:6 2e then said that ho# #e spend our time and money is a direct re!lection on #here our true priorities lie" 2e then said as a leader that he has al#ays lo$ed the Auote by 1handi +e$en though he didnt ascribe to all o! 1handis belie!s-: 5I #ill not let anyone #alk through my mind #ith dirty !eet"6 2e said that as he taught this principle to his three boys that Colt McCoy turned this phrase into his o#n #ords: 5Thoughts become things"6 Colt #ould tell his younger brothers as he mentored them' 5=ou cant talk like that or think like that' because thoughts become things that play themsel$es out in your li!e"6

4. Prepare for Open and Closed Doors. As a Dad' he said it #as pain!ul beyond all o! his years on this earth to #atch his son get hurt in the !irst series o! play in the Bational Championship at the ;ose Bo#l" A per!ect setting" A setting his son had dreamed o! e$er since he thre# the !ootball #ith his Dad in the !ront yard as a kid" As a Dad' he #ent o$er to his sons hotel room a!ter the Championship loss and the demoralizing !ate !or such a BCAA !ootball star" 2e #ent to his sons room to cheer his son up and #as praying to 1od !or the right #ords" 2e entered his sons hotel room to !ind his son !inishing a de$otional" A de$otional that read as !ollo#s: 5My positi$e energy must be better than my negati$e energy" My certainty must be me stronger than my doubt" The battle is #on be!ore I e$er start the !ight" I choose !aith o$er !ear" Lea$e a legacy o! e,cellence' lo$e' dedication and ser$ice" @eremiah stated' Blessed is the man #hos trust is in the Lord"6 2e said as a Dad' he had to !ind a corner o! Colts hotel room to sit do#n and cry o$er the maturity o! his son" 2is son #as prepared !or open and closed doors* 2e then !inished his speech by stating that as he consoled his son under the ;ose Bo#l stadium' a!ter it #as readily apparent that Colt #ould not be able to go back onto the !ield and play !or the Longhorns" And as he #as trying to moti$ate his son' his son moti$ated the team and his Dad" 2is son stepped into a ne# mantle o! leadership" ;ather than return to the !ield in pedestrian clothes' Colt insisted on returning to the !ield to help his team #in" 2e #alked back onto the !ield in his uni!orm and helped the second string Auarterback read the de!ense and mentored the second string Auarterback o$er the course o! the 7rd and %th Auarters" 2e said that his son had been studying trust in a Bible Ctudy all year long leading up to the Bational Championship game" 2e said his son had told his mom and dad that he didnt kno# #hy he had been studying that trust concept all year' but he !ully kne# #hy in the moments leading up to the Bational Championship loss" 2e told his parents that he came to the conclusion that 1od had prepared me !or years leading up to that game' because 2e #anted me to trust 2im* As his son' Colt' #as approached by ne#s reporters a!ter the Longhorns had lost the Bational Championship' the reporters asked Colt ho# he #as !eeling and Colt replied: 5I al#ays gi$e 1od the glory" I ne$er Auestion #hat 1od does" 1od is in control o! my li!e and i! nothing else' I am standing on the ;ock*6 Brad McCoy said that his cell phone began lighting up #ith te,ts a!terthe game #ith !riends' ministers and !amily members #ildly acclaiming the statement that Colt had made to the reporters" 2e said that he recei$ed letters !rom non.belie$ers' @e#ish ministers' Muslim ministers and atheists in the days !ollo#ing the game . all pointing to the AMADIB1 statement that Colt had made a!ter the game" 2e said that as he entered Colts hotel room that night' he asked his son' 5/hat did you say a!ter game:6 E2e had not been able to hear it in the mayhem o! the stadium"F Brad McCoy' ColtGs Dad' asked t#o to three times' 5Con' #hat did you say a!ter the game:6 Colt said' 5Dad' I dont kno#" I really dont remember #hat I said" All I remember is that the reporter asked me a Auestion and I prayed that 1od #ould supply me #ith the right ans#er"6 retty a#esome stu!! in my opinion