The annual Army Navy game - and what we can all learn from it

I'm an avid Alabama football fan, but the game I love to watch more than any other is today, the annual Army Navy game, also called "America's Game". The two service academies, which are older than the game of football itself, will meet on the field in the last regular season college game.

You'll often hear that this game is a major rivalry and that the players are fully invested in the outcome of the game, but after the game?ends they become brothers and sisters in arms. You'll hear it said more than once that any of these cadets and midshipmen, whether?they are on the field or in the stands, will take an oath upon graduation and will voluntarily give their lives for anyone watching this game.?

The march-on is a tradition not to be missed, where the entire student body of each academy march into the stadium and to the stands. There?are also several other traditions to note, including the prisoner exchange, where students from each academy who have observed the other academy for the fall semester are returned to their home academy, and a drum line competition.

The player stories and the spirit messages, especially from deployed troops, from sailors in the fleet, and Marines in the field are not to be missed.

The player stories highlight players on each team, and show where they are from, why they went to that academy, and what they will do when they graduate.?

For the spirit messages, the technology of the spirit messages has changed a lot over time, but there are two basic messages - the first is from the Army poking fun at the Navy, and from the Navy and Marines poking fun at the Army. That is fun to watch, but I love the motivational messages. These are from deployed troops with messages for the players and students, and they are played for viewers during the game and shared with the players. It's uplifting and super impactful.?

Usually, the President of the United States attends the game, and sits on one side for the first half, the other side for the second half.

One of the things I look for and admire the most is the tradition after the game ends. Each cadet and midshipman knows both their own alma mater and the other school's alma mater, and you DO NOT want to have yours played first, because the losing team's?alma mater is played first.?Both teams go to the loser's student section, and both teams sing their alma mater, then both teams go to the winner's student section, and all sing that alma mater.

This is a show of respect that all the athletes honor, and the Naval Academy has gone so far as to offer this tradition of signing "Navy Blue and Gold" at every other game they play against other universities.

Why share this on LinkedIn? It's a sporting event, after all?

Yes, it's a football game, but it's so much more. On a surface level, you can't help but to be inspired by the leadership, work ethic, and integrity of all the players and students. On a deeper level, there are things we can all learn about ourselves that we can apply to many areas, professional and personal.

If you have the opportunity - watch some or all of this game, and you'll go away inspired.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

#encouragingleader