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For Deangelo Tyson, wearing the Georgia G carries with it a little more weight. As much as having 169 little brothers and sisters back home in Statesboro.
I still struggle. I still have to do the right things. I can’t dwell on things that happened back then. I am a growing boy, and I am going to get older. I have to overlook the past to get to my future.
For the rest of us, Coach Garner provides the proper perspective.
A lot of things these kids take for granted, he’s never had. You know, having your own bedroom, having a big Christmas and Thanksgiving; things like that. I’ve got a lot of respect myself for (Tyson) for the type of attitude and the type of outlook that he has on life given the circumstances that he’s come from. I often wonder if it was reversed, would I be that good of a person? So I’ve got a lot of respect for him for what he’s endured.
The honest answer to Garner's question for most of us is certainly no. Do yourself a favor and read the entire piece by Page. It's a solid reminder that many of these kids we bark at have experiences beyond our comprehension.
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1 comment:
A high percentage of young males growing up under those conditions will typically be drawn to either gangs or team sports--mainly because they provide identity, a non-matriarchal family, and strong father-figures.
We just happen to live in a time when nearly 70% of black children are growing up in single-parent homes or as in this instance a non-traditional home.
So the next time you hear of a "values-preaching" coach giving a "bad" kid a second or third chance after screwing up... remind yourself that some of these athletes are just now facing demands for self-discipline that a lot of us mastered in grammar school.
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