“As a literary device, epiphany is the moment when a character is suddenly struck with a life-changing realization which changes the rest of the story.””
I was sitting in a November PRESENCE session snapping a few pictures for the archives when something struck me rather profoundly. I’m not a coach and I’m decades beyond being a student but I’ve been observing, photographing, and participating in these sessions for a few years, now, and suddenly I realized just how much of an impact the Handshake Program has, is having, and potentially will have in the lives of the students who get to be a part of it. As a matter of fact, anyone who spends time around this Program is going to experience the impact!
There is more to an iceberg than meets the eye just as there is more to Handshake America than shaking a few hands and cashing in on a $1,000 scholarship. From the first handshake at the Orientation and Kick-Off to the Passion, Perseverance, Positivity, People, and Presence sessions, to the last handshake at the Annual Assembly, the students involved in this program are just that: Involved. Here are five points to illustrate just how much:
They meet and interact with a myriad of people, including but not limited to, other student-athletes, their individual coach plus the team of coaches, the Handshake Board of Trustees, the founders, Program alumni, and the special guests invited in to speak at the events.
There are 8 official meetings for each student and coach but through emails, texts, phone calls, and social media, coaches and students stay accountable and connected to each other. They are building friendships, relationships, and bonds that can last a lifetime.
The material used to drive home the 5 Practices of Success (5Ps) opens up all sorts of dialogue for the Session discussions and beyond. It allows each individual to self assess, build on the strengths they already possess, improve on weaknesses, and ask any question they want (i.e. “Can you help me prepare for an interview?”, “How can I prepare for my professional career in college?”, “Did you ever feel homesick when you went to college?”, etc.)
They are interacting with a world beyond sports and school; a professional world they’ll be navigating sooner rather than later.
The coaches and contributors to the Program are building into the lives of the next generation of entrepreneurs, managers, designers, laborers, farmers, family businesses, coaches, husbands and wives, moms and dads, leaders, and role players of all sorts. Handshake takes the opportunity to reinforce the practices of Passion, Perseverance, Positivity, the value of People, and projecting a Presence marked by integrity, honesty, and thoughtfulness.
DEMOLITION BY INVITATION
Did you know Handshake is in the demolition business? Demolishing barriers, that is, because the students get to interact with a world beyond sports and school. As a human being, I know that excuses, fear of the unknown, self-doubt, and an over-active imagination can all build towering, insurmountable walls between us and our pursuit of success. But the awesome power of being invited to walk through the big glass doors, to sit on the 27th floor of a downtown office building overlooking the city, and to get a taste of what success looks like and how it should be defined can jackhammer right through those walls!
Students and coaches gathered for a PASSION session at the downtown offices of Porter-Wright in May.
So, here’s where my epiphany comes in. As the students are preparing for college visits, playing their senior seasons and trying to squeeze in all the homework, practice time, and sleep they can into a 24-hour day, they are unwittingly breaking down barriers every time they attend a meeting or answer a coach’s text.
You see, the meetings are often held in the offices and conference rooms of law firms, architectural and design firms, builders, international restaurant chains, insurance providers, global accounting firms, banks, mortgage lenders, wealth advisors, global clothing and shoe brands, and the list goes on! The hosts and speakers get to talk about their businesses, their roles, and especially the opportunities available to high school and college students. DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENTS! You don’t get this from a job fair and you don’t get this from any website or YouTube video. This is truly a unique experience of a lifetime!
BUILDING UP THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS
Sure, each coach commits their time and resources to their student but it is more than just catching up and answering discussion questions together. Through the guided sessions, personal texts, emails, phone calls, and check-ins, relationships are being built up and walls are being torn down. The student gets to draw on a lifetime of experience of the fails and wins of their coach, and not only their coach but all of the coaches and guests with whom they come into contact over the course of the Program.
There is a team-driven culture that allows for open and frank conversations and critiques on all kinds of subject matter from sports to personal life to corporate life to dealing with an injury to preparing for college; without fear, without judgment, and with the student’s success in being able to navigate a life beyond sports in mind.
Knowing that Handshake America is a college scholarship program created to help coachable and gritty high school student-athletes define and pursue success in life is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you come in contact with it, experience it, or become a part of it, you begin to realize just how deep and impactful the Program is below the surface.
Matt Draudt
mDraudtPhotography