JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
or 952.926.0896

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November 2006

"Eagles, Letters, and Unsung Heroes"

Wow...sometimes I wonder how I ended up in a field leading such high-achieving youth. The only letter I received in high school was in Drama; I only achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout; and my cumulative GPA never topped 3.33 in high school and college. However, my most significant achievement could be having relatively well-rounded skills: a little bit of an athlete, a little bit of a performer, a little bit of a scholar. I suppose the title of mentor/teacher/leader is the best way to describe my life's work, but as any adult or parent who works with youth knows, such a role is difficult to quantify in terms of success.
Am I more successful of an uncle with an Eagle Scout nephew? Am I validated as a coach with 18 letter-winners from last year? No, and no;

I may have had a hand in empowering the kids, but they did the work of achievement. My biggest reward (on earth) for working with kids (whether through kindred or coaching) is seeing their developing character. For every letter winner and Eagle Scout, there are dozens of other youth with whom I've worked that are being developed regardless of their earthly recognition. Just as my favorite musical, Les Miserables, states, "To love another person is to see the face of God," my hope is that our youth in JH will strive to be unsung heroes in the lives of others-perhaps even more so following an award. All awards should be a result of, and a call to further developing, good character. Achievers: congrats, but be a hero behind the scenes even more so than when the world deems you worthy of praise.