May of 1988... two legends...30 years of football & blessings

photo by Fort Thomas Schools

photo by Paris Schools

Here is the first column which turned into the book, Black Shoes & White Shoestrings.  The past 30 years of football have included 4 years at Paris HS as an assistant, 4 years at Paris HS as head coach, 19 years at Mason County HS as a head coach, and getting ready to start year four at Mercer County HS. 

30 Years Ago, May of 1988

One of the best days of my life was the day I got to interview with Tom Duffy(Highlands) and then Homer Goins(Paris). 30 years later, they are still two of the greatest football coaches to ever walk the sideline in Kentucky. That has not changed. 

Who do we sound like.... act like???

1974 Mercer County Scotties

Coaching HS football in your hometown, and following in your Dad's footsteps, can be pretty cool some times.

We went to eat lunch this afternoon in Harrodsburg. A gentlemen says to me, "Are you the football coach?" I say, "yes sir." He says, "What is your name?"  I tell him. 

He goes on to tell me that he played for my Dad and that he was on the first two teams in school history to have winning seasons at Mercer County. He says that my Dad worked them very hard but they wanted to do it for him.

I knew exactly who he was! And, I could call him by name. He still looks the same as he did in 1975.  Some times when I see those old players I leave them alone. I realize not everyone wants to talk about HS football from 40+ years ago.... even though I could talk about it all day.  I was really glad he brought it up.

The part that got my attention was after we finished talking and I was leaving. I was about to walk out the door and he ran and grabbed my arm. He says, "I had to ask if it was you. You talk just like your Dad. You sound just like him."

People say that to me alot. Although it makes me feel good to hear that, it also makes me really want to hear my Dad's voice one more time. I know I will again someday because of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today's incident gave me more to think about.  I do sound like my Dad and that is good. But, more importantly, do I treat people the way he treated them? Do I have the character that he had?

What about my Heavenly Father?  Do the words that come out of my mouth sound like something He would say?  Are my words pleasing to Him?  Can you recognize who my Heavenly Father is? Or, would people be shocked to know I have a relationship with Jesus Christ?

The tough answer is that I often fall short. God's grace is sufficient, but I still want to do much better serving Him. If I am going to SOUND like John Buchanan, the content of my words and character should be such that would make him proud and also please our Heavenly Father.  

Colossians 3:23

Job Descriptions, Closing the Gap.... Trying to listen better

This is the time of year that job descriptions are prepared for all of our staff. I am trying to do a better job of listening and then also following through on the ideas we discuss, especially their input.

In the picture above is game duties, practice duties, & job descriptions of every staff member, going back to my first season at Mercer, 2015.  In our preseason & postseason meetings, I take notes and write them down on my copy of their job description. I keep those notes and keep adding one year to the next so that I have a running picture of those conversations. 

Going into 2018, this will be the fourth season for most of us working together. The job descriptions have changed a little but not much. One way to help us focus and get the most of their abilities... we have a very strong staff.... 2018 will have a tweak tied specifically to each coach's strengths and a unique way they can help make our program better. 

If you have ideas on staff organization that are unique or especially effective, please send those to me at coachdavidbuchanan@gmail.com.  If these documents would help someone else, email me and I will send them to you. 

In 2018, our seniors will be the first Titans in school history to have the same head coach for all four seasons. We are making progress and the continuity will  help us also.  We are proud of the progress made these past three seasons, but there is still much room for improvement. Hopefully these adjustments to our job descriptions will continue to help us close the gap between where we are and what we are working to become!

Practical Advice for Sharing God's Word

Here is an insight from something a football coach experienced this week:

While counseling one of my players, I knew of Scripture that would help my player, but, I was not sure where to find it. Finally, I googled the part of the scripture I knew, and the rest of it popped up for me to share with this young man!

Thanks for sharing this and hopefully it will help other coaches in the future as they help their student-athletes!

Leadership Training....productive day!

We had a very productive day for Leadership Training(25 Building Blocks of Leadership) and received some good feedback to make the next session better! This training also provides 6 hours of EILA training for KY School Administrators. If your team, staff, or school needs better leadership, we can set up a training specifically for your needs. For administrators and coaches, one of the objectives is to leave the session with less work to do.  Leaders will leave better organized around the priorities that will make their team or a school a success. Contact me at coachdavidbuchanan@gmail.com for more information.