cbanks1972

What to make of Life’s Experiences?

What to make of Life’s Experiences?

Be Present:  Focus on the Now

Saying and not doing, or promoting action without it lead us all into a tangled web of deep distress.  Often, I am contemplating the future or weeping in the past instead of being truly present to my current surroundings.  We have all heard the term “practice what you preach” or if you are going to “talk the talk, you better walk the walk” all the while being sucked back into the personal hell that was created by our own thoughts and actions.  This is what I would call habitual over thinking, which in basic terms depression.  This constant woe is me attitude hits us at our very roots of existence, oftentimes leads us near the breaking point, or what some call rock bottom.  Trust me, I have been there more times than I could care to count or share to you the reader.  However, by making myself more present in the now, I have limited the dark radiating thoughts from the past, and the debilitating worry of the future in many regards.  Be present with yourself, your family, your friends, your work, and all other facets of your life and you will see abundant changes taking place right before your very eyes.

What must we do as human beings to understand that our peace and serenity is always around us when we open our eyes?  To be honest it is a tough thing to handle.  Over thinking has been so much a part of my life, that I often don’t know if I could share my story if it weren’t from doing something that gives me peace.  Writing has been the centered focus for me over the past few years and continues to give me freedom and peace each and every time I begin to put my words to paper.  This is an important part of focusing on the now, finding what gives us peace in the moment.  By finding your peace, you give yourself power to tackle the burden of the past and the future.  One is able to create a mindset to focus on ourselves which in turn will create a love for one’s self beyond what you think is possible.  If you love yourself the world around you becomes so much easier to be a part of.  It is this love that will allow you to be present in the now, which you will find a peace within yourself, which in turn will allow you to focus on your path in this life.

Think of it like this, imagine you could bury the most hurtful scenarios and experiences in the past and use it to your advantage in the creation of your current situation.  Then you could focus on who you were born to be.  The stresses of the future would take care of itself, due to your growth mindset and your focus on what is currently around you at this very moment.  The human brain can be your vessel, but remember this will take a lot of practice.  Write down what sets your negative past actions off?  Ask yourself the question; “Does this impact my current self?”  If it does try to break free from the action that is causing you pain and discord.  I have spent most of my childhood and adult life worrying about the future by the interactions of the past.  Failure to focus on my current state nearly destroyed what was around me at the time the thoughts began to rage in my mind.  Remember focus on the now, let the past go, and don’t worry so much about the future as it hasn’t happened yet.

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Published by cbanks1972

## Charles “Chuck” Banks ### Founder and Voice of Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network Charles “Chuck” Banks—known to many throughout the tri-state sports community as Coach Banks or “Chuck the Tank”—is the founder and lead broadcaster of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network. Built from more than two decades of coaching, teaching, leadership, and relationship-building, the network is dedicated to telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, schools, and communities that make local sports special. A native of rural Iowa, Banks has spent 20 years in education and more than 25 years coaching football. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Graceland University in 2004 before completing a master’s degree in Secondary Education and Educational Administration and a specialist degree in Educational Leadership. Throughout his coaching career, Banks worked with programs across southeastern Iowa. His stops included Centerville, Central Lee, and Fort Madison, along with seven years coaching girls basketball and additional experience in junior-high track. At Central Lee, Banks served as an assistant defensive coach and activities director before becoming the Hawks’ head football coach from 2020 through 2022. Central Lee reached the playoffs during his final season. He was also part of multiple playoff teams and a district championship during his time with the program. At Centerville, Banks spent nine years as an assistant and helped the Big Reds capture a district championship and earn multiple playoff appearances. Most recently, he coached at Fort Madison under Head Coach Derek Doherty, helping develop younger players within the Bloodhound football program. Banks’ defensive coaching journey evolved from the traditional 5-2 defense to the 3-3-5 before he found his preferred home in the 4-2-5. However, his coaching philosophy has never been limited to schemes, formations, wins, or losses. He believes the greatest responsibility of a coach is to build relationships, develop leaders, create belonging, and prepare young people for life beyond the playing field. That belief became the foundation for Coaching Culture in Athletics. What began as an effort to create meaningful conversations about coaching and leadership grew into a full sports-media and broadcasting network. Coaching Culture in Athletics now serves as the umbrella for Dog Pound Radio, The Coach Show, the Dog House Tour, Dog Pound U, Hound Talk, the Dog House Saturday Morning Blitz, live game broadcasts, team previews, rankings, interviews, historical features, and year-round coverage of local athletics. Through the Dog House Tour, Banks visits practices, meets coaching staffs, interviews athletes, studies programs, and gives local teams the type of detailed coverage normally reserved for much larger schools. The network’s reach extends throughout southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri, connecting communities across the tri-state region. Banks has covered and developed relationships with programs including Fort Madison, Central Lee, Centerville, West Burlington–Notre Dame, Mount Pleasant, Macomb, West Hancock, and Brown County. His work highlights more than star players and final scores. It recognizes assistant coaches, linemen, managers, scout-team players, school traditions, historic stadiums, longtime community supporters, and the people working behind the scenes. The Coach Show allows Banks to sit down with coaches from the high-school and college levels for honest conversations about leadership, program development, adversity, family, faith, and the profession of coaching. His interviews are guided by experience rather than observation alone. He understands the pressure of leading a program, the hours spent preparing, the sacrifices made by coaching families, and the responsibility that comes with mentoring young people. Dog Pound Radio brings a more energetic edge to the network. Inspired by Banks’ love for football and his beagles, Leo and Loki, Dog Pound Radio combines local sports reporting with the unmistakable “Dawg Mentality”—toughness, loyalty, preparation, perseverance, and love for the team. Loki continues to serve as a central part of the brand, while the memory of Leo remains woven into its heart. Banks’ journey has also been shaped by significant personal adversity. After suffering multiple strokes, undergoing heart surgery, and facing additional serious health concerns, he stepped away from coaching and entered what he describes as medical retirement from the sideline. He also speaks openly about depression, adult ADHD, recovery, and the importance of faith, family, purpose, and mental health. Although his health changed the way he could serve, it did not take away his calling. Broadcasting became a new sideline. Through Coaching Culture in Athletics, Banks found another way to teach, coach, encourage, and advocate. His experiences have given his work a deeper sense of urgency: appreciate the people around you, tell their stories while you can, recognize the unseen contributors, and never underestimate the impact a coach can have on a young person’s life. Faith and family remain at the center of Banks’ life. He and his wife, Stephanie, have built a life rooted in southeastern Iowa and are the proud parents of Chelsey, Peyton, and Katarina. Their growing family includes son-in-law Donald Archambault and grandchildren Orion, Owen, and Ollie. Banks often credits his family for standing beside him through the demanding seasons of coaching, education, broadcasting, illness, and recovery. Today, Chuck Banks brings together the perspective of a coach, educator, broadcaster, historian, husband, father, grandfather, and survivor. His voice is passionate, direct, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to the communities he covers. The mission of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network is simple: promote the positive impact of athletics, strengthen coaching culture, celebrate local communities, preserve sports history, and provide athletes and coaches with a platform where their work matters. This is more than a radio network. It is a celebration of coaches, culture, athletes, families, and communities. It is local sports coverage built on relationships. It is where coaches, culture, and communities connect. It is Coaching Culture in Athletics.

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