An inside look at a revolutionary character education program

Be an 11 Program An inside look at a revolutionary character education program hampions are not born but made. Only after a lot of hard work and hard choices does an athlete earn the title of champion. Think about Lance Armstrong overcoming testicular cancer and going on to win the Tour de France seven times consecutively. Think about Muhammad Ali winning the gold Cmedal as a light-heavyweight in 1960, upsetting Sonny Liston to win his first world heavyweight championship in 1964, and defeating the seemingly unstoppable George Foreman 10 years later. Those were moments created of endless practice, encouragement and sacrifice.

Everyone dreams of victory, whether it’s a tough running back or a shy teen trying out for a part in the school play. Talent and the desire to succeed are just the beginning. We know that we should follow some sort of path to get what we want, and we know that we will confront obstacles along the way. What we may not know is where the right path begins or how MAY/JUNE 2011 Anthony Robles is a true Eleven, setting the highest goals and becoming a role model for others. He was undefeated in his junior and senior years in high school, and became a three-time Pac-10 champion at Arizona State University, finishing his senior year at 36-0. to prepare ourselves for the obstacles.

And if we are unprepared, we may lose courage and get lost on the way. That’s where the Be an 11 program comes in. To help young people fulfill their potential, our program seeks to inspire them to set worthy goals, both athletic and personal, and then to help them develop action plans to achieve those goals. Along the way, they learn about the importance of making positive choices, keeping their self-respect and being team players and role models for others. The Be an 11 program is simply about being a success in all areas of life.

It All Began with a Number The Be an 11 program grew out of an idea I had years ago while giving clinics. I would have the athletes perform a box squat exhibition to demonstrate how great our intensity can be when our teammates support us. I would pick a junior on a team (if it was football, I’d usually pick a running back, as they are often the best athletes). Then I would put a heavy weight on a barbell and ask the athlete to perform as many reps as he could with his teammates cheering him on. The athlete would always do a lot more reps than he or she could do otherwise. At first we did these exhibitions primarily with football teams.

Many years ago I did one for (the late) Coach Travis Farrar’s team at Springhill High School in Louisiana. When it came time to do the box squat exhibition, I picked my athlete, and after several warm-up sets loaded the barbell to 400 pounds and then asked the team, “How many games are there in a football season in Louisiana?” They replied, “Fourteen.” Then I said, “It’s really hard to go 14 games, and this young man here is going to show us how hard it is to go all out for 14 games by doing 14 reps on the box squat with this weight.” That number worked fine, and during subsequent exhibitions I would always have the chosen athlete perform 14 reps in the box squat.

(By the way, the year following the clinic at Springhill, the team went to their state championship.) The complications began when we started doing clinics for other sports.

Dr. Greg Shepard shown at one of his inspirational Be an11 seminars.

In basketball a high school team may play 26 games in a season, and in baseball, 30. So then I began asking them, “On a scale of 1 to 10, what kind of effort should we give? What do you want to be known for?” Immediately one of the athletes would say, “Ten!” but inevitably someone else would top it by shouting, “Eleven!” at which I would roar back at them, “Eleven? What a great idea! So let’s vote on it. On a scale of 1 to 10, how many want to be known as a team that gives a 10? How about an 11?” Their response would unanimously be “Eleven!” and that’s how Be an 11 came to be.

Who Is an Eleven? If you are an Eleven, you are trustworthy and dependable. Elevens are people you can always count on. Elevens are goal oriented and they make success happen. They are morally strong. Elevens pull others up spiritually, mentally and physically. They are pleasant to be around in every situation and among all groups of people. Elevens are loving and respectful to others, especially their family members. Elevens make every effort to be great students – these young men and women are leaders and do the right thing all the time, even if criticized. They follow and believe in these three rules for success: Rule #1: I am worth my highest goal. I deserve success.

I will walk, talk, think and act like that successful person I want to be. Rule #2: I will surround myself with positive people, places and things. I refuse to associate with any person, place or thing that creates negativity or mediocrity. Rule #3: Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop me from being an Eleven! Anyone can be an Eleven! It is simply a matter of attitude. It is not a matter of talent or intelligence but a willingness to try continually to raise your personal bar of excellence. Changing your attitude will change your life. You can guarantee yourself success with the right mental attitude. A sign in the Dallas Cowboys weightroom states, “It takes no talent to hustle.”

Those who give it their all every day are Elevens! Almost everyone is an Eleven some of the time. However, let’s be realistic – no one is an Eleven all the time. The goal is to be an Eleven more of the time. For some, this goal might seem overwhelming. But there are literally hundreds of ideas and concepts to help. I believe that everyone can make the big time somewhere. The BFS Be an 11 program brings many things to your attention that you might not have known or otherwise thought important. Your job will be to evaluate yourself critically in relation to the ideas presented and then choose your personal destiny.

To learn more about the Be an 11 program, pick up a copy of Dr. Shepard’s Be an 11 Guidebook for Success.

“Be An 11 has changed my life! I WILL BE AN 11!” - Katie Heinlen “The most inspiring night of my life!” a.\OH0H\HUV5XWKHUIRUG%+D\HV+LJK2+ “Reaffirmed the reason I entered coaching 25 years ago.” - Coach Al McFarland “Every school in the nation should schedule a Be An 11 Seminar today! It is without a doubt the best thing that has happened to our school.” - Coach T.

Cox “This is exactly what our school - and community - needed.”- Coach Fox Here’s How it Works X$%)63UHVHQWHUZLOOFRPHWR \RXUVFKRRODQGZLOOVSHQGXSWR WKUHHKRXUVLQVSLULQJPRWLYDWLQJ DQGHGXFDWLQJ\RXUDWKOHWHVKRZ WREHFRPHWUXHHOHYHQV XSWRDWKOHWHV$GGҋO DWKOHWHVRQO\HDFK ,QFOXGHVWKH%HDQ *XLGHERRN Interested schools can request a free Be An 11 Book & Seminar literature X27+(5&/,1,&237,216'D\ %HDQ6HPLQDU'D\&OLQLF'D\ %HDQ 6HPLQDU'D\&OLQLF&HUWLÀFDWLRQ&OLQLF DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHELETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976

From BFS Magazine — May/June 2011. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).