Coach Marshall shares an inspiring message with the Valparaiso Vikings, drawing a powerful parallel between the team's journey and the remarkable story of Admiral Jim Stockdale. This lesson in resiliency and unwavering faith provides a powerful framework for facing challenges both on and off the field.

September 9th, 1965 - Jim Stockdale was shot down over North Vietnam.

The event left him with a partially broken back and knee injuries which resulted from ejecting from his plane. Upon his capture, he was the highest-ranking naval officer held as a POW.

He was held a prisoner of war for seven years and survived a minimum of 15 physical tortures over the seven years. This included beatings, whippings, and near asphyxiation with ropes. He was kept in solitary confinement and total darkness for four years. He was latched to heavy abrasive leg irons for two years. He was malnourished due to starvation and was denied medical care for his injuries. All of this would have broken even the strongest of men.

However, for Jim Stockdale he would not allow it. In fact, he became a beacon of hope for all other POW's in the prison with him. He created a way for them to communicate quietly and discreetly when no talking was allowed. This increased morale amongst the POW's and gave them hope and camaraderie. Not to mention the North Vietnamese said they would take him downtown and parade him around in front of foreign journalists to send a message. In hearing this he took a razor to his own head and beat himself with a wooden Stool to mark his body up and create the image of torture that could not be hidden and the world would see. He did this so the Vietnamese could not take him downtown and risk showing what inhumane and grotesque things they were doing to the POW's.

So what is the Stockdale Paradox and how does it relate to our team?

Understanding the Paradox

Before we answer that, let's look at what it is NOT:

• It is NOT naive optimism
• It is NOT toxic or fake positivity
• It is NOT hopeless realism

The Stockdale Paradox is now a widely known psychological mindset. It is unwavering faith for future success while at the same time brutal honesty about the current situation.

The fact of the matter is the Stockdale Paradox is something we must practice.

Three Steps to Practice the Stockdale Paradox

Step 1 - Face our Reality Head on - Conduct honest assessments through setbacks and acknowledge our failures.

Step 2 - Maintain Deep Belief - Find purpose and meaning in the struggle and cultivate a long-term vision.

Step 3 - Develop inner strength through habits and the daily doses of trusting the process of getting better.

The Stockdale Paradox teaches that real strength lies in combining radical honesty with unshakable faith. It's a framework for surviving and even thriving through hardship.

In the end Jim Stockdale was released in 1973. For his courage he was awarded 26 personal combat decorations including the Medal of Honor and four silver stars. His resiliency throughout those seven years led to the treatment of US POW's becoming better and getting to the point where the torture of American POW's stopped at the hands of the North Vietnamese.

Through his struggle he brought needed change!

Questions for Reflection

His story begs us to ask ourselves these rhetorical questions:

Are you letting our current reality as a team to set limits on what you can do?

Have you given up?

What are your reasons to not lose faith?

Is it a promise to yourself, to the team, to each other?