The Locker Room Playbook

4Growth Takes Place Outside of Comfort Zones

For Everyone

Core Lessons

• When having a difficult conversation, strive to carefully consider the words that you use; be slow to anger and full of grace.
• Prejudice means looking down on another person or viewing them as “less than” due to differences such as skin color or economic level.
• Racism is based on the imbalance of power between one race and another. The wielding of that power to maintain the status quo is a racist action.
• Just because a person does or says something racist does not make them racist, nor does it even indicate that they had racist intent. Sometimes it's just ignorance.

Chapter Summary

Coach Smitty protests that there's no way that racism is the reason the Locker Room is broken. In the face of his friend's ignorance, Coach Washington prays: “Give me the words to speak; help me be slow to anger and full of grace.” The two coaches have a discussion about the difference between racism and prejudice. Coach Washington explains that although Coach Smitty and Davey are not “racists,” their actions were based in racism because of the way that they used their power and privilege.

Deep Dive Teaching #1: Growth Takes Place Outside of Comfort Zones

Too often we shy away from things that would benefit us because we are afraid. We're afraid to try new things because we don't want to fail. We're afraid to meet new people because we don't want to look stupid.

That fear is not unique to you. Everyone has these fears ...