The Original Coach K

       

 

 Don't look back
A new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken
The road is callin'
Today is the day

- Don't Look Back, Boston

When you mention the name Coach K, most people associate it with legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. But..back in the day my track and cross country coach Mr. Kostecki was known by his teams as Coach K before Duke had their Coach K.

I had never thought about or reminisced about my high school days with Coach K until recently when I attended a cross country meet to watch my friend's daughter race.

 

On the sidelines during this race I saw coaches encouraging and throwing out pointers to their runners. For myself, Coach K's consistent pointer was, "Don't look back! Keep moving! Don't look back!"

 

This was my habit, the habit of always looking back to see who or how many were close behind. It was a habit that was hard to break and I learned my lesson the hard way. It was in my junior year of high school at an invitational cross country meet where many schools participated. For most of the 3 mile race, on a trail in the middle of the wilderness I led. But in the end that habit of looking back cost me dearly as two runners passed me at the stretch with the finish line in plain sight. I was more worried about who or what was going on behind me instead of concentrating on the finish line before me.

 

Hmm, where have we heard that bit of life's philosophy before on not looking behind or at the past?

 

"It's not possible to go forward while looking back." - Ludwig Miles

 

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." - Bill Keane

 

And we are also reminded in scripture on how to run the race:

 

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. - 1 Cor. 9:24

 

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Phil. 3:3-14

 

The Apostle Paul was great at encouraging others and The Church through his letters with the simple fortitude of moving forward and forgetting those things behind. Paul knew what he was talking about because he had to live it. He did not get hung up on his mistakes and failures. Instead, he just asked God to forgive him, and then he forgot about those things.

 

It's okay to look at your past and how God may have gotten you through some rough times, but don't  dwell on your past mistakes and failures instead use them to build you up for today and reach for that which is before you.

 

"You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space." - Johnny Cash