Years ago, on fall Sunday mornings, I could hear the booming voice riding the wind up the hill. “And coming onto the field representing the Pee Wee team from Atlantic Highlands…” Young boys wearing equipment weighing twice their weight would proudly lumber onto the football field. My girls were cheerleaders. I would sit on the metal bleachers, and watch them come to life with carefully choreographed routines. August 1st launched daily practice leading up to with Sunday games that continued until the season ended in November. The kids loved it; the adults, I am not sure. As a parent, I enjoyed the lessons of hard work, the power of teamwork, and the benefits of exercise the kids were learning.
Each year the leadership team would rotate jobs among their peers, almost musical chairs. Renee was always in charge of the cheerleaders. Tom owned one of the younger teams; Al led the upper age teams and so on. They would move across teams but never left their roles. During my six-year tenure as a Pop Warner Cheerleader mom, the faces never changed. I began to notice a fundamental problem with the structure. As the coaches’ children grew older, the guard tightened ranks. No new talent was recruited to ensure long-term survival. New ideas were squashed, new people were shunned, and the “This is how we do it” mantra became louder.
I see this more pronounced today
. Each January, companies announce a new organization. For another year, the same people rotate from one role into another “Let’s all congratulate him/her.” What I don’t see are new faces with new perspectives, unique views, or new ideas invited to the discussion table. One day someone looks up to see the talent bench is empty; the smart creatives left long ago.
Today September Sunday mornings are quiet, and the field is empty. You would think we would learn.
foursetsofeyes 