My football coach changed my life.
And, even though it’s been years since he passed away, his impact is still being felt even in places where he’s never set foot.Although it sounds pretty dramatic, I know if Coach Bill Bell hadn’t seen my potential, I wouldn’t have made it into adulthood. My adoptive mother died when I was five, my adoptive father left when I was 12. I was a victim of physical and sexual abuse — a “special ed” kid with a string of dismal grades. I was destined for failure.
And then I met Coach Bill Bell. From grade 7 to grade 12, he was there for me. Because he believed in me, I started to believe in myself. Ultimately I even started to believe I had gifts I could pass on to others.
Recently my travels brought me to Alberta. City staff in Leduc connected me and our Let Them Be Kids program to 10 moms who wanted a playground but didn’t have the finances or the connections. Since Feb 1, those 10 moms have raised $64,000 and Leduc will get their new playground on June 6. You might say a new playground is no big deal. But for the kid who needs a safe place to play, for that senior with a grandkid, it is a big deal.
And of all of this because of whom? You could say it’s because of 10 moms. You could give the credit to Ian Hill or his organization. Or you could say it was Bill Bell. Coach Bell’s belief changed the outcome of my entire life. In Leduc, 10 moms have altered the outcome of the lives of local kids and families.
What about you? Is there a child or a spouse who needs your faith? A neighbour who needs a kind word or someone who needs a helping hand?
We may not be able to change the world, but we can tend to our little corner of it. It is the collective impact of all these seemingly random acts of hope that will win the day.
That’s what Bill Bell did—his corner of the world was Ian Hill. He drew a line in the sand and said, “I’ll make my mark on this man’s life.”
I believe that every community is one idea, one voice, one action—one person—away from being better tomorrow than it was yesterday.
You have the power to be that one person.
