Why young athletes need this great character-building program more than ever
At a BFS clinic in Snowflake, Arizona, BFS clinician Jeff Scurran inspires young men and women to set high goals and develop action plans to achieve them.
Be an 11 Program Why young athletes need this great character-building program more than ever BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER t’s been said that talent prevails, but the deeper truth is that champions are not born but made. Think about Muhammad Ali winning Olympic gold as a light-heavyweight in 1960, Ithen 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 ora shy teen trying out for a part in the school MARCH/APRIL 2013 play.
Talent and the desire to succeed are just the beginning. We know we should follow some sort of path to get what we want and that we will confront obstacles along the way. What we may not know is where the right path begins or how to prepare ourselves for the obstacles. And if we are unprepared, we being team players and role models for others. The Be an 11 program is 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 permore reps than they could do otherwise. At first we did these exhibitions primarily with football teams. Many years ago I did a clinic for 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 To help young people fulfill their potential, our program seeks to inspire them to set worthy goals, both athletic and personal… 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 helps 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 form a box squat exhibition to demonstrate how great our intensity can be when our teammates support us. I would pick out 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.
Every athlete chosen to do this would always do a lot loaded the barbellto 400 pounds. Then I asked the team, “How many games are therein a football season in Louisiana?” They replied, “Fourteen.” Then Isaid, “It’s really hard to go 14 games, and this young man here is going to show us how hard it is to go 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 A well-equipped weightroom is a great place to start building character in young athletes. Shown is the weightroom at Dulaney High School in Timonium, Maryland.
BFS PROGRAM 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. In basketball a high school team may play 26 games in a season, and in baseball, 30. So 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 time 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 To learn more about the Be an 11 program, pick up a copy of Dr. Greg Shepard’s Be an 11 Guidebook for Success. 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. 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 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 may not have known or thought important. Think about these ideas and ideals and take some time to evaluate yourself in relation to them. Then you’ll be prepared to choose your personal destiny.
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From BFS Magazine — March/April 2013. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
