Excerpts from Manhood from the Hood

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One of Manhood From The Hood’s most enthusiastic fans in Coach Denny Welter!

As we told you last week, Coach Welter has spent a career teaching young people how to use the same life values Bill Roddy’s grandfather shared with Bill when Bill was young.

Coach Welter agrees that sometimes the thoughtful gestures of kindness and support from adults can help a young person thrive:

“My high school basketball coach, Merlyn Kinkel, would give me and the other kids who lived out in the country a ride home from practice. There wasn’t a late bus to take us home in those days. That thoughtful act allowed us to play basketball when we might not otherwise have been able.”

Keep checking in every Monday to read Coach Welter’s Favorite Quotes from Manhood From The Hood!

Thanks Coach!

11.Being at the ballpark created a bond with his grandfather at many levels.

12.Learn to read well.  It is the key to a good education.

13. Never trust anyone outside of our family

14. Take pride in working the fields, producing the crops and reaping the harvest.

15. Take pride in the work you do.

Coach Welter and all of us at Manhood From The Hood would love to see some of YOUR favorite quotes so send them in!

My Son and T-Ball

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It is t-ball season and my 6-year-old son is playing. We have played catch in the yard  and hit a few balls at the park but I had no idea how things would go. The first two practices went well but I was a little nervous about the first game which came after the second practice. When it comes to sports I can be a little competitive being that I played sports coming up. I had to calm myself down a few times while Cordell was out in the field playing around and not paying attention. It is okay to want your kids to succeed in sports but you have to realize that they are also out there to have fun and socialize with their friends, especially at age 6.

The first game went surprisingly well, Cordell hit two line drives into the grass, and seemed to have had a lot of fun. The second game I spotted him in center-field, squatting down, and playing in the sand. I looked around a little more a noticed that three or four more kids were doing the same. I just shook my head and reminded myself that he is here to have fun.

It is important to not put pressure on your kids when it comes to sports because that may cause them not to like the sport. Just remind yourself like I do, they are there to have fun and to socialize with their friends. The coaches are there for a reason, to coach, so if your kid isn’t doing something right, it is their job to correct them. I am looking forward to the next game!

 

Cortez Wilson

Advice to my 21 year old self, Cal Hoskins

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Cal's answers to his 21-year old self.

1. When you were 21 years old, where were you living and what were you doing?

I was livivng in Grand Rapids Michigan and I was really trying to figure what direction to go in, not sure of who I was at the time.

2. What did you worry about–what was that one thing that you feared the most?

I worried about and feared the most of being a failure in anything I tried doing. I wanted to succeed, but did know how.

3. What did you hope the future held for you?

My hope back then was to be truly loved and accepted to belong somewhere.

4. How did you define what it meant to be a man?

I falsely defined being a man by how many women I could bed and how high I could get and how many lies I could tell.

5. What advice do you give today to that young man of yesterday?

I would tell that younger me to listen and obey your parents and make decisions that are in line with the values you were taught.


Hello from Bill Roddy!

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People have repeatedly asked me: “Bill, what does Manhood From the Hood stand for?”

If Manhood From the Hood were my business, most likely a community service business, our mission statement would be:

“Manhood From the Hood is committed to reclaiming and rebuilding the positive masculine ideals of integrity with commitment, strength with humility, intensity with compassion, throughout our culture.”

But Manhood From the Hood is not a business–it’s life. As mature men, we’ve gained so much experience/knowledge–experience/knowledge that we wish we’d had when we were 21. Crucial experience/knowledge that we must pass on to the next generation.

So imagine sitting down to have a conversation with your 21-year-old self. What would you say to him?

I’d like to invite you to join me in participating in a series of articles entitled, “Advice to my 21-year-old Self.” Contact me if you’d like to participate. I will interview you in a short series of questions. I will post a new interview on this blog each Friday, beginning New Year’s Eve.

A free copy of Manhood from the Hood goes to the first 10 interviewees!