Ridgell's Originals

My grandkids are Wylie Bulldogs.  Jake is in 1st grade and is a Little Bulldog.  He and his family have a adopted Bulldog player that they support.  They decorate, support, encourage, and cheer for him.  All the football players have been adopted like this.  Jake goes to every game in his Bulldog jersey.  He can't wait  to play football for Wylie.  Just like like every other little boy in the district.  They won't all be good enough, but they sure won't miss on any potential players.

Avery is in Kindergarten.  She is on the Pup Squad.  She goes to every game in her little cheerleader uniform.  Loves Wylie sports.  Can't wait to grow up and cheer and/or play for Wylie.  Just like every other little girl in the district.

Which means every set of parents and grandparents are big fans and supporters of Wylie athletics.  Every family in the whole district supports them.  Which may explain why have as successful an athletic program as I have ever seen.  Football, volleyball, tennis, basketball (girls and guys), baseball, and on and on..  You name the sport and they are good at it.

Because every kid out there wants to grow up and play/cheer for some sport at Wylie.  They indoctrinate them young.  They make them feel a part of Wylie athletics starting in Kindergarten.  Older kids take time to mess with the little kids.  Hero worship.  Role models.

Don't misunderstand.  If you are from Wylie, you love this.  If you are not,,, then you hate it, make fun of it, call it a cult, say they are brainwashed, and complain about the peer pressure.  And Wylie continues to win.

I wonder if that would work in the church.  Oops... sorry.  No brainwashing.  We don't want to be a cult.  We want our kids to make their own decisions about church.  We are even afraid to make them go to church.

And we wonder why so many of our kids leave church.

Maybe we could learn something from Wylie athletics.  Expectations, involvement, role models, heroes.  And don't worry about what outsiders think.

You see, the truth is that I indoctrinated my kids about Christianity.  I was much more worried about what their faith would look like than I was about what outsiders might think.

It was the right decision.

So... go Bulldogs.

Even more... go God.