A Reminder for Men/Coaches: Platform and Boundaries
The Michigan football situation is a sober reminder: coaching/leadership is a platform. People are watching… players, parents, and your community. Influence is a stewardship, not a right.
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV).
Pressure to win can blur lines if you don’t set boundaries. That’s why wisdom and boundaries matter. They protect your integrity, your family, and your team.
Accountability matters too. Invite people who can ask hard questions and tell you the truth. Transparency is not weakness… it’s wisdom.
This is about protecting you as a man—and also protecting the women you work with and around. I have a daughter, and I want her to be in an environment where she’s respected, cared for, and safe. Boundaries don’t just guard reputations; they guard people. Protect yourself, protect your family, protect those around you… It’s worth it!
GO AND DO (3 Practical Steps)
- Write your “never alone” rule—and live it. No closed-door 1-on-1s. Meet in visible/public spaces, keep doors open, and use group texts/copy parents/admin.
- Choose 2 accountability men and set a weekly check-in. Ask direct questions: “Any secret conversations? Any emotional entanglements? Any boundary drift? Any lies?”
- Audit your weak spots and build guardrails. Identify when you’re most vulnerable (late nights, travel, DMs, stress after losses) and set specific limits: curfews, no private messaging, wife-in-the-loop, device transparency.
Proverbs 11:3 – “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”
Proverbs 20:7 – “The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!”
Check out coachesmin.org for more resources.