Episode 204: Sometimes You Have to Bench Yourself | A Knee Injury, Crutches, Youth Baseball & the Leadership Lesson I Didn’t Want to Learn

**I told one of my players, “I’m not going to bench myself.” Less than 24 hours later, I was sitting in the bleachers on crutches.** Saturday, I was playing baseball with Noah and Skyler. I was chasing Noah toward first base with the ball when he slid headfirst right in front of me. I jumped to avoid stepping on him. Then I landed awkwardly. **Pop.** My right knee immediately felt wrong. I tried to stand. I couldn’t. By Sunday, I was on crutches with swelling, stiffness, and limited mobility. Before the game, one of the umpires saw me behind the dugout and asked: **“Coach, what happened?”** I pointed toward Amanda and said: **“I’ve put myself on the disabled list. She’s coaching today.”** I still put the lineup together. I still coached up some players from where I was. I still cared about every pitch. But I couldn’t coach third base, move around, or be involved the way I normally am. And sitting in the bleachers while Amanda led reminded me of something: **Sometimes leadership doesn’t stop. It just has to change positions.** Leadership isn’t proving that you can do everything. Sometimes it’s recognizing what you can still contribute... and trusting someone else to carry the rest. I still don’t know exactly what’s going on with my knee. The story isn’t finished. That’s why it belongs in **Lessons in Real Time**. Sometimes life changes your role before you’re ready. And sometimes the strongest thing you can do is adapt. 🎙️ *Summit After the Storm Podcast* Season 6: **Lessons in Real Time** 📖 *Summit After the Storm* releases November 10 🌐 **SummitAfterStorm.com** #LessonsInRealTime #SummitAfterTheStorm #Leadership #YouthBaseball #Coaching #LeadershipLessons #Adaptability #LetOthersLead #BaseballLife #Parenting #Faith #ChristianPodcast #LifeLessons #KeepClimbing #Episode204