pain relief medicine and enjoyed the moment of friendship immensely! He felt needed and missed and loved. Which he truly is.
His coaches were amazing during this time. Instead of him sitting on the sidelines, they had him coaching during his recovery. He was still an asset to the team. Watching him on the sidelines using his crutches as the biggest cheering apparatus ever brought me joy…that he still had joy. And meaning. And relevance.
I was honored to have the boys head coach on my podcast “Owning Your Legacy” recently. I have been hounding the man more than I’d like to admit. I had a vision. Coach Pomazak and his staff need to be brought into the spotlight as mentors who help turn boys into men. I am forever grateful for what the coaches have contributed to my boys’ lives in terms of their character, their work ethic, their sense of worth and their humanness. The sacrifices made by these role models are never lost on me. It is impactful, important and life changing. THEY make a difference.
According to Richard Reeves’s book, we do not have enough male role models for our boys. Especially in the areas of HEAL which is health, education, administration, and literacy. Most astounding is psychology. Less than 5% of psychologist under 30 years old are men. This is a glaring issue since mental health is so very important these days and studies show boys prefer men to share their deepest thoughts with. Finding a male therapist is increasingly hard and young men are not pursuing that profession.
All of this feels changeable; I am hopeful. We need to continue the conversations both inside our homes and within our communities. I have always been a strong advocate for women. But I can hold two thoughts and also be a strong advocate for boys and men. It is not mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, it is imperative we all are flourishing. As a strong, independent woman I can adamantly declare, we desire the men in our lives. The roles may have changed but you are needed and important to our happiness. My deepest wish is I raise men that are amazing humans. Inside and out. And they continue to be my greatest cheerleaders. Their support gives me strength. I hope my support gives them wings to fly…
Laurette Rondenet is President and CEO of Edlong Flavors, the host of Owning Your Legacy podcast, and a mother of five boys. Her podcast ranks in the top 10% of all podcasts on Apple where she invites other leaders to discuss the legacy they will leave behind. Listen to the Owning Your Legacy podcast.
lauretterondenet.com/podcast