Little Eyes Are Watching

By Stuart R. Mullins

A Lesson That Lasted a Lifetime

During the mid-1980s, I was blessed to play football for Coach Ralph Cummins at Clintwood High School. Coach Cummins was an outstanding organizer, motivator, leader, coach, and teacher. I could tell countless stories about things he said or did that pushed my classmates and teammates to perform at a higher level.

However, as meaningful as those moments were, it’s his words and actions outside of competition that stand out in my mind today.

Beyond the Scoreboard

Coach Cummins cared deeply about producing not just athletes, but good citizens—young men who would carry themselves with integrity both on and off the field. He wanted his players to be aggressive, yet respectful of their opponents.

His mantra was simple:

“Knock your man down, pick him up, dust him off, and then get him again on the next play.”

He wouldn’t tolerate disrespect toward opponents, officials, fans, or his coaching staff. Like all coaches, he hated to lose, but in his own words, he’d rather:

“Win the district sportsmanship trophy than the district championship.”

Those are easy words to say to a group of impressionable teenage boys, but I’m confident that Coach Cummins meant them—and lived by them.

A Poem Worth Keeping

According to Coach Cummins, one of the most important parts of being a good citizen was setting a positive example for children to follow.

At one point, he handed out a poem by an unknown author that perfectly captured that lesson. It was titled:

“Little Eyes Are Watching”

Author unknown

There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little boy who's dreaming
of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.
In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.
He believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;
He will say and do, in your way
when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow
who believes you're always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.
You are setting an example
every day in all you do;
For the little boy who's waiting
to grow up to be like you.

 Decades Later

I still have everything Coach Cummins gave us during my three years on the varsity football squad—every playbook, blocking chart, uniform checklist, pregame schedule, motivational handout, and nutrition guide. I even have the original folders they came in.

But the item I pull out most often is that poem. Almost forty years later, its words still move me. I’ve lived up to them at times and fallen short at others. It’s not Holy Scripture, but I like to think Christ would approve of its message.

Passing It Forward

I have often shared this poem with my eighth-graders as they are preparing to leave middle school. I don’t know how many of them have kept it, or even read it for that matter, but I hope it has resonated with at least a few.

In rural America, kids idolize their high-school heroes—and not just in athletics. The same is true in band, drama, academics, clubs, or any other pursuit where younger students look up to older ones and dream of being like them someday.

If everyone lived by the words of this poem, parents would have far fewer worries. They could send their children to school confident that every teacher, coach, administrator, and student they encounter would leave a positive mark on their lives.

What a Great World That Would Be.



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