Rally the Team

The Lesson

In 2010, a movie was released honoring the life of Luke Abbate. Luke passed away in 2006 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident following a high school football team practice. The driver, a fellow student, was speeding along at nearly 90 miles-per-hour when he lost control and sent the car plummeting nearly 70 feet.

The movie The 5th Quarter shares Luke’s story and the impact that it had on the Wake Forest football program.

Luke’s older brother, Jon, played football for Wake Forest and after his brother’s death, changed his number from 40  to his brother’s number 5.

According to the movie’s official website:

“A tradition began to evolve during the following Wake Forest games. In paying homage to Luke, Jon would signal his family sitting in the stands (Section 5) by holding up his hand with all 5 fingers outstretched. He did this at the end of the third quarter. Gradually, the rest of his team started to do the same. Within a couple of games, players from both teams, the fans in the stands, and those watching the games on television, would begin the final quarter by raising their hands with all 5 fingers outstretched in honor of Luke’s memory. The final quarter became known as Luke’s Quarter, the 5th Quarter, and this humble signal crystallized the entire team. And, although having lost their starting quarterback, starting running back, and starting defensive end to injuries at the beginning of the season, Wake Forest went on to complete their most successful season in school history, winning 11 games against 2 losses. Coach Grobe was selected the ACC’s Coach-Of-The-Year, and Jon performed brilliantly in the ACC Championship Game with fifteen solo tackles against powerhouse Georgia Tech.”

The Challenge

A scene of Coach Grobe rallying the team with a pep talk inspires this week’s challenge. Take a peek:

As summer sets in and the second quarter draws to a close, it is important for our collection teams to be motivated and inspired so that we can hit our goals and head into the second half of the year with positive momentum.

This week your challenge is to rally your team and encourage each other. And remember coach’s words of wisdom: “Let’s pick each other up and good things will happen. Now get out there play like your hair is on fire!”

The Reflection

What traditions does your team have, and how do those traditions rally the team?

You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor

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Published bimonthly, collector mentor is a quick-read publication dedicated entirely to delivering articles and practical advice that teaches credit and collection professionals how to increase collection results, enhance productivity, improve teamwork, and become better stewards of the industry.