Knock Out Thoughts on Fatherhood by Michael W. Michelsen, Jr George Foreman has accumulated numerous titles in his life and career. He’s been the two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, television pitchman, entrepreneur, and evangelist. But the title he’s most proud of is simply “Dad.” That’s saying a lot coming from a man who grew up poor and troubled, and who didn’t meet his father for the first time until 1976, well after his hard-scrabble upbringing with a single working mother. “Don’t get me wrong,” George says with his trademark wide smile and self-deprecating style. “My Mama did the best she could, raising seven kids by herself and working to keep us fed; but without a father around, I was like a ship without a rudder. I didn’t have a strong arm of guidance and direction, which is needed for kids to grow up properly.” This is a situation that George, now a grandfather, tried to remedy when raising his 10 children. He is passing along what he learned about parenting in his book, Fatherhood by George (Thomas Nelson), which imparts his personal strategies, insights, and advice on how to be a winning dad. George characterizes the job of being a father as a consistent blend of love, strength, respect, friendship, teaching, and discipline. That’s a big job, to be sure, but George’s mother knew best where to get that kind of guidance— God. As a teen, George says, he was big for his age, rebellious, and stubborn. His Mother asked the Lord to work His miracle in the boy’s life. And the Lord wasted no time. George quickly went from being a street-smart tough to holding a paying job with the government’s Job Corps, all the while developing his boxing skills with seasoned trainers in the ring. Soon, he was on his way to earning a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games, and later a professional career, where he earned a reputation tangling with such formidable opponents as Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Jerry Cooney, and Muhammad Ali. “I caused my Mama a lot of grief growing up, but make no mistake about it: Although she turned me over to the Lord, she knew that He could do whatever He needed to get my attention and straighten me out,” George admits. “And I can tell you right now that the Lord answered her prayers . . . and mine.” George points out, for example, the lesson of Solomon, who learned from his father David to pay attention and learn good judgment (Proverbs 4:1-4). George learned to follow this Scripture, and, as a result, taught it to his children. “And why do we want to teach and live out good judgment?” George asks. “To teach our kids the same. It’s that easy. They learn and exercise what they see. And the greatest thing is that it’s all in the Bible for us to use. People are looking for the answers to all of these life problems, and it’s not only been there all along, but the advice in the Bible is time-tested. It works.” And it seems from the fruits of the Lord’s lessons that George has gotten the rewards he earned, with all 10 of his children, who now range from 9 to 34. He says they are healthy, educated, and well adjusted. Interestingly, George named all of his five sons “George”: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. They are known, though, by their nicknames “Monk,” “Red,” “Joe,” “Big Wheel,” and “Little George.” Even three of the five girls have a variation of the name “George” as a middle name. “A lot of people ask me why I named all my kids George,” he says. “I tell them that my head has been beat on by Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Young, Joe Frazier—all the best. After that, how many names do you think you could remember?” More seriously, George says, “The truth is I named my kids George because I want them all to remember who their Daddy is.” The children have all lived up to their names. They have excelled in their education, sports, and lives. Only one of them, Monk, works for his father. Monk, who graduated from Rice University, is George’s business manager. George attributes a great deal of the success he has had as a father to exercising the same prudence with his children that David did with his son, Solomon. “When I was growing up, I lived on the lessons of the streets: What you can’t get with your skills, you can get with your fists,” George explains. “Eventually, even though I was big and strong, I learned the hard way that that’s not the good way to get anything. And when I had my children and they were growing up, [I said] that they won’t always be the smartest, the best-looking, or the one with the most money, but you can be the nicest,” And even Dad has learned his lesson. “One day, I was at my ranch in Texas and a fellow just came by and walked up to me, asking me to [autograph] some things he had,” George recalls. “Now, I could have very easily gotten mad, called the police, had him removed, but where would it have gotten me? By just smiling, signing his stuff, and sending him on his way, I made myself look good for that guy.” As George recalls this incident, he says, “My kids learned a lesson about me, and I learned something too. So often, parents are careful about what they say that their kids will hear, but they forget that what their children see them do is just as important.” George emphasizes that these lessons are not only important during childhood—even as adults, children are thirsty for this guidance. “Our kids need us,” George said. “They need our love and support desperately. I can guarantee parents that if they aren’t willing to teach their kids the right way to live, someone else is willing to teach them the wrong way. It’s our choice, and who doesn’t want to be a hero in his or her kid’s eyes?” Going the Distance as a Dad Whether your children are nearly grown, out on their own, or learning to become parents, Geroge has some advice about being a godly dad. Make your home a refuge. George says, “As good fathers, we need to make home a haven, a place where kids want to hang out. A place they’ll miss when they’re gone, not a place they’ll remember for the grief.” Keep yourself under control. “One of the cardinal rules of boxing is to keep our bodies under control. The same holds true of fathers. If you’re not under control, you lose the ability to lead and influence.” Some jabs you should never use on your kids. George cautions not to say things such as, “You’ll never amount to anything. You got what you deserved. What’s wrong with you? You can’t do anything right. All you ever do is cause trouble. Kids believe what you say, right or wrong. Be careful.” Be consistent. “In boxing and in other sports, it’s important to be consistent in your workout routines. But you must always practice the correct routines to be effective. The same is true in parenting. Be consistent in your parenting practices.” Be a coach. “Where would an athlete be without a coach? A good coach makes an athlete see what they can be, rather than what they are. The same is true of a good father.” Practice attentive listening. Attentive listening is one of the most important ways a father can influence his kids.” Hug, kiss, and touch. “If you want to communicate love and acceptance to your kids, you have to be willing to pull them close and hug them.” Romance and honor your wife. “This is something your kids need to see you doing.” Give your kids honor and dignity. “This is most dramatically taught in the way we treat our wives, but the best way to teach honor and dignity is to treat them with honor and dignity.” Set clear boundaries. “Healthy boundaries need to be set for good parenting. Kids need to know the rules. They’re starving to know boundaries. In boxing, we need to know and follow the rules, otherwise, it’s just a street fight where somebody can get killed.” Absorb the fatherhood experience. “Being a good boxer means being able to absorb the pain of the punches. Being a good father means being able to absorb the hits of being the recipient of some punches of their own, and go the distance with them.”