Newsletter No 10 2013 - Ipswich Grammar School

F C C - D EInspiraon: I’ll be honest with you I didn’t think I had it in me to write an arcle for this week’s newsleer. Ididn’t think I had the words to capture your aenon and give you something to think about. I sent Mr Moore atext on Sunday telling him I didn’t think I had the ability to come up with another arcle. I was feeling flat, whichI’m sure a lot of you were, aer the results on Saturday. I was doubng myself and I wasn’t sure I could make adifference this week. Mr Moore’s reply was short and to the point, “no excuses!” Those 2 lile words, which Ihave spoken to many a coach and many a player over the years made me well aware that I have a responsibilityto uphold and no maer what I’ll have to find inspiraon from somewhere and get on with what I have beenasked to do. I just needed something to draw inspiraon from.When we go looking for inspiraon we rarely find it. Inspiraon finds us and finds us in an array of mediums.Inspiraon is an individual phenomenon. What I find inspiring, you more than likely won’t and vice versa. Inspiraonfinds the individual it doesn’t necessarily find the masses.Inspiraon is a result of hard, trying mes and is never born from easy situaons. Inspiraon never comes froma deliberate act but rather we draw inspiraon from spontaneous feats or off the cuff remarks. More oen thannot inspiraon finds us in unusual circumstances, such as the documentary I watched on Sunday night whichtriggered my thought process to write this.Over the years I’ve drawn inspiraon from tales of heroic deeds, personal triumph, sporng endeavours andfeel-good stories. I’ve oen found inspiraon from books, movies and especially music. The documentaryI watched on Sunday night centered on the life of one of my favourite musicians, Jesus “Sixto” Rodriguez.“Searching for Sugar Man” is the story about a man the majority of you would never have heard of. I fell in lovewith Rodriguez’s music when I was incredibly young via one of my older brothers owning one of his records. Yep,a record. Good ol’ fashioned vinyl.Rodriguez only released 2 albums and was a major flop in his home country, the USA, as well as the majority ofcountries around the world. In the late 60’s early 70’s it was incredibly tough for a Mexican to make it in the USin any endeavour let alone the world of music. Unbeknown to Rodriguez whilst he was doing it tough financially,living day to day to put food on the table for his family, he was the biggest musical arst in South Africa and gavehope to a naon of youth through his music, during the Apartheid years of the 70’s and 80’s. He sold millions ofrecords in South Africa during this me and never received a cent. The word in South Africa was that Rodriguezhad commied suicide in the mid 70’s. Some 25 years aer he released his 2nd and final record, a couple ofSouth African fans set out to find out why he hadn’t become a world-wide success and were amazed to find outthat Rodriguez was in fact alive. They tracked him down and took him to South Africa to play in front of packedstadiums. Rodriguez was amazed to realise he was truly bigger than Elvis in South Africa. A humble man, whoworked hard, doing day to day laboring jobs, he was suddenly reaping the rewards for his passion; his music.What did Rodriguez do with his new found wealth? He gave his money away to family and friends and people inneed. Truly an amazing, inspiraonal story.Whilst I was watching the documentary, I realised over the years, in troubling mes, I have oen turned tothe music of Rodriguez. I realised the music of Rodriguez has always helped me clear my head and refocus mythoughts. A simple lile trigger which helps me to get back on track. How can music wrien and recorded beforeI was born have such a posive impact on my thoughts? For me music is one of the individual, inspiraonalphenomenons I touched on earlier.So what does this have to do with you and IGS Rugby? Whilst watching the movie I found my thoughts returningto events on Saturday. I was drawn back to the amazingly, courageous cover tackle by Jamason Fa’anana-Schultzlate in the 1st XV game when he was about to be replaced due to a back injury. I remembered the hard work ofthe 14A’s in defence repelling the opposion me aer me to hang on for a great win. I could see the arms inthe air and the smiles on the faces of the 4th XV when they scored their first try. I remembered the enthusiasmof the Year 3 boys playing their game at halime in the 1st XV match. I recalled the kind words of the coachesthanking me for lile ps I’d given them and how they could see their teams were making progress. I rememberedthat in tough mes there were innumerable courageous feats from boys wearing red and white. I then realisedthat each week you all inspire me with your willingness to try to beer yourselves. You inspire me to keeptrying to find ways to make you beer. I realised it is your coach’s thirst for knowledge that inspires me to passon the lile knowledge I have to try to make them beer. I realised that it’s the opportunity you all have in frontof you to live a successful life that inspires me to play a very small part in helping you achieve your successes.I realised that in order to find inspiraon in the future all I need to do is stand and watch you all work hard attraining. I understand I can now draw inspiraon from your efforts on the field each Saturday you play. I came torealise it is indeed you who inspires me.I’ll leave you with this, when mes are tough and you think all is lost, relax, take a breath, be aware of yoursurroundings and believe in yourself. Keep your head up and be inspired by all around you. With one word, withone acon, with one acknowledgement you can and will inspire another person and enrich their lives. If andwhen you do that, in return your life will be enriched.