1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's Coach Bill Courtney with an army of 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: normal folks. With Thanksgiving in the holidays coming up, we 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: wanted to bring you a bonus episode from our special 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: campaign Don't be a Turkey person that currently, believe it 5 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: or not, has a billboard in Times Square in New 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: York City. And guys, this isn't about eden Turkeys. It's 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: one of the most important life lessons that I've ever learned, 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: and it was one I learned from one of my 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: seventeen year old football players from inner City Memphis. The 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: story will likely change the way you look at philanthropy, 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: at least it did for me. We'll bring it to 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: you right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. 13 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: When I got to Manassas, their previous ten years record 14 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: was four wins in ninety five losses four ninety five. 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: They've won four games in ten years. Terrible, awful. I'm 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: in my first season and we were three and three 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: midway through the season. And while I think three and 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: three is pretty average, when you've won four games in 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: ten years, that's pretty good, and the kids were buying in. 20 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: But the other thing we found out is we had 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: to coach. Other things, basic fundamentals and tenants like character, commitment, teamwork, 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: the value of hard work, the importance of just being 23 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: on time. Basic stuff that your grandmother taught you at 24 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: a kitchen table. One day, half the team is doing 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: what we're asking of them, But the other half the team, 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: while yes or nose are on the football field, they're 27 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: still engaged in some of the same destructive behavior in 28 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: the streets that kind of got them to four and 29 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: ninety five in the first place. And the four ninety 30 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: five is kind of a metaphor the losing that the 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: decades long losing in football is kind of a metaphor 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: for the generational losing that's been going on and some 33 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: of our most disadvantaged communities. And so I was frustrated. 34 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: So I went to my guy. And every coach has 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: a guy, and my guy that year was Bobo. And 36 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: went to Bobo, and I said, hey, man, how do 37 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: I get that half the team to buy into the 38 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: important stuff? Like you're half the team. Bobo was the 39 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: guy who, whenever asked a question about the culture or 40 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: society or history of the neighborhoods around Manassas or Manassas itself, 41 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: would always kind of tell me the down low, the 42 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: real story. And so when I asked him about why 43 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,679 Speaker 1: these kids weren't buying the important stuff, Bobo just kind 44 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: of dismissed me, said our coach, just keep doing what 45 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: you're doing. And that frustrated me a lot. And I'm like, no, man, 46 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: real talk. And he said, Coach, I don't want to 47 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: hurt your feelings. And I said, Bobo, one more time, 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: straight talk, Why won't that half the team buy into 49 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: the important stuff? Like you're half the team. And he said, coach, 50 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'll tell 51 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: you and I said, okay. He said, Coach, you're trying 52 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: to figure out if you're a turkey person or not. 53 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: And I said, Bobo, turkey person. What the hell is 54 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: a turkey person? He's like, coach. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, 55 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: people come into our neighborhoods and they give us hams 56 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: and gifts and turkeys, and we take them because we 57 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: ain't got none. But then they leave and we never 58 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: see them again. And it kind of makes you wonder 59 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: if they're doing that because they really care about us, 60 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: or they're doing that to make themselves feel good. He 61 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: loot me dead eyes, and he said, coach, what the 62 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: hell are you really doing here? Man? And I'm going 63 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: to tell you something that pissed me off bad. The 64 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: truth was, I was waking up early in the morning, 65 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: like four, driving to work, get my work done. Didn't 66 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,119 Speaker 1: take a lunch break because I spent my forty five 67 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: minutes at lunch going to Manassas to make sure the 68 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: guys were doing what they're supposed to do. Went back 69 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: to work, then hustled up and got to the practice 70 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: field at three thirty. Practice football from three thirty to 71 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: five thirty or six at Manasses. Then I would get 72 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: my car and drive to the suburbs to coach my 73 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: kids in football. Because the deal was, if I'm going 74 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: to coach man Asses, I'm still going to stay involved 75 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: with my kids. We were paying for act prep classes, 76 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: pregame meals, helping kids with clothing. We were there every day, 77 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: spending our time, our money, and our resources on eighteen 78 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: hours a day. And we did that for seven years. 79 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: And this kid wants to look at me and ask 80 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: me if I'm a Turkey person. That's bull man. I mean, honestly, 81 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: my thought was, Okay, here's the experiment. I've dove in. 82 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: I've given them my time and my effort, my money, 83 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 1: and they still want to see if I'm a Turkey person. 84 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what I thought. You can't help the 85 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: these people. Can't help these folks. I mean, if everything 86 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: I'm doing right now isn't enough, you can't help these folks. 87 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: I wasn't gonna quit during the middle of the season, 88 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: but I'd pretty much made up my mind that I 89 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: was done. Like I said, I coached my kids out 90 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: in the suburbs, and I would show up to practice 91 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: at my kids practice, and they were young, they were 92 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: in the third and fourth grade and coaching high school ball, 93 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: and I would show up in my Manassas gear because 94 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: I didn't have a chance to change from Manasa's practice 95 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: going out there, and guys were walking up to me 96 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: and saying, Bill, what's this Manasa stuff you're wearing? And 97 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, it's I'm coaching Manassas. Like Manassas, 98 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: They're terrible. This is not an exaggeration. Two weeks after 99 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: Bobo told me the Turkey person story, the Commercial Appeal, 100 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: which is the daily newspaper in Memphis, not the sports page, 101 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: the front page had a picture of a picture of 102 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: me and the title was Manassas Miracle because we turned 103 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: around Manasses me And so at these practices, people walking 104 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: up and saying, Bill, it's amazing what you're doing at Manassas. 105 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: Tell me more. I bother like, well, I got am 106 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: act pup classes. Wow, Bill, what else are you doing well? 107 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: You know? I got them winning football games. What else well? 108 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: Instead of going up and down the cold road these 109 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: fall nights on yellow school buses, we're riding on charter 110 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: buses that we're providing. Man, that's amazing, Bill, What else 111 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: are you doing well? I got them doing their homework. 112 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: What else you doing well? You know? I got them 113 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: being respectful in classes. 114 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 2: And the point is, anybody, anytime anybody asked me anything 115 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 2: about everything that was going on Manasses, I was happy 116 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 2: to tell them everything I was doing and getting backslaps 117 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 2: and kind of elevated me among my contemporaries in my 118 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 2: neighborhood and in my society, and it felt good. 119 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, you may not know why kids in the hoods 120 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: sleep in tubs, and it's because most of the neighborhoods 121 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: in the hood, most of the homes are old and 122 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: the tubs are cast iron, and the reason people lay 123 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: their children and babies down to sleep in the tubs 124 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: at night is because if there's a drive by shooting, 125 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: they'll survive the night. Me these kids didn't know where 126 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: their next meal was coming from. Many of these kids 127 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: were doing homework for the first time in their lives, 128 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: and their friends were calling them chumps. Many kids were 129 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: getting called sellouts because of Anassis. All the players, all 130 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: the students are African American, and I was white. There's 131 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: likely this white guy ain't got nothing for you. Man, 132 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: What you doing hanging around with is white coach. And 133 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: these kids, to be part of one positive thing in 134 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: their life, fought their own friends, some of their own 135 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: cultural differences, started doing things that other people saw them 136 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: as chumps for doing. They were getting beaten out of 137 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: gangs to be able to be part of the football team. 138 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: They were doing all of these things and starting to 139 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: the first time in their life be part of anything 140 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: that had a positive, winning thing. And any time anybody 141 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: asked me about Manassas, I was all too happy to 142 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: tell them everything I was doing. If you serve soup 143 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,599 Speaker 1: at soup kitchens, or you give away turkeys on thanksgiving 144 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: or gifts at Christmas to children who don't have them. 145 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: It is a beautiful thing. Do not misunderstand the purpose 146 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: of my sharing the story with you. There's not only 147 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with doing those things. There's are great things 148 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: to do, and I think we're called to do them 149 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: and should do them. But what's your motive? What's your motive? 150 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: Are you doing it because it makes you feel good? 151 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: Are you doing it because people in your family or 152 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: friends around you and your business say, oh nice what 153 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: you're doing and they're giving you backslabs? Are you doing 154 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: it because your company has a philanthropy that everybody gets 155 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: around and you're just kind of called to do it 156 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: because it's the right thing to do in your business, 157 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: and maybe even it helps you when the next promotion 158 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: talks come up. What's your motive? If you are not 159 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: motivated to do something for the simple edification and exaltation 160 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: of another person who is not as blessed, as fortunate 161 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 1: as you, and you're motivated by what it does for you, 162 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: then you are, in fact a Turkey person. And what 163 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: a Turkey person is as a fraud. And I can 164 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: say that to you because I was one. My son 165 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: was sitting at the kitchen table, and he looked at me. 166 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: Not long after the Turkey person story and the Manasas 167 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: miracle article came out, and he said, hey, Dad, I 168 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: know everything you're doing at Manassas, but what are your players' names? 169 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: Out of the mouths of babes. An eight year old 170 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: boy shocked me when he revealed to me that I'd 171 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: been telling everybody everything I was doing, but people didn't 172 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: even know the kids' names who were actually doing the work. 173 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: I reversed course immediately. I started giving credit where credits due. 174 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: I started stepping back and allowing them to have the 175 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: illumination of the success. And this crazy thing happened. That 176 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: group of kids that weren't buying into the important stuff 177 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: started buying in because what they saw was a servant, 178 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: not a fraud. We need to create an army of 179 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: normal folks that do things all over our country and 180 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: their communities and their neighborhoods and say hey, I have 181 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: a need I can help. I know government's never going 182 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: to get it right, and I know the fancy people 183 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: on CNN Fox are just dividing us. But I see 184 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: a need and I can fill it in my neighborhood 185 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: and community. We need an army of normal folks saying hey, 186 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: I can help, but we need to be motivated properly too, 187 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: because we can do more damage than good if we 188 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: go into areas of need and do it for ourselves. 189 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: We need an army of normal folks motivated properly, not 190 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: turkey persons servants. We see area need and fill those 191 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: areas and needs for the right reasons, for the right people. 192 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: And if we did that, we literally can change this country. 193 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: And that's a lesson that was taught to me my 194 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: seventeen year old black kid from the hood, my first 195 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: chair at minasis. All right, y'all, thanks for checking out 196 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: this bonus episode. I hope you'll consider sharing it with 197 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: family and friends over the holidays. And if you want 198 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: to check out or share the video versus the story, 199 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: go to turkeyperson dot com. It's on the homepage. You 200 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: can also join the army of normal folks there, and gosh, 201 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: I hope you will. Together. Guys, we can change this country. 202 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: But remember it starts with you. I'm Bill Courtney. I'll 203 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 1: see you next week.