Parent with a plan

Amie, my grandmother and I watched the story of Richard Williams a couple evenings ago and I haven’t been able to get my mind off of it.

Richard pulled two approaches together I didn’t think could be merged. First, he had a thorough, specific and overarching plan for his daughter’s lives. Second, he sought to build into them the independence and skill to choose their own path.

His 85-page plan for his daughters might have provoked resentment had he pressured his daughters to achieve without the family’s investment. Instead, his daughters knew that he was absolutely committed to their success and truly believed they could accomplish the plan. Richard’s determination to find his daughters an expert tennis coach or protect them from gang involvement proved that he was fully invested. Likewise Brandy Williams supported the whole family to make space for her daughter’s to train, even taking over Serena’s training when a professional coach began to work with Venus.

It’s remarkable that Venus and Serena chose their father’s plan as teenagers. The family had invested, not only in tennis stardom, but in their full potential. Either one could have decided at the start of their tennis careers another interest. But their father’s vision for their tennis greatness was contagious; not only did they know that their father believed they could be great, they had internalized the same dream and passion.

Richard’s life story is an incredible testimony to the power of a family dedicated to a single mission. He had many flaws, of which the movie showed just a few. The arch of the story, however; of a father and mother’s dedication to the protection and investment of their children from birth long into their adult years (perhaps even unto death?), is a monumental challenge to do nothing less for love of one’s children. Though I don’t care that either Graham or Royal become professional athletes, I deeply care that they become men of integrity, humility, dedication and love, just as Richard felt towards his daughters.