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What does it take to raise a boy into a healthy man – emotionally, spiritually and relationally?
Brian & Jeff Becker
Brian and Jeff Becker recently released Tender Lions – a book about building the vital relationship between father and son. More than 20 million children in the U.S. live in a home without the physical presence of a father. Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent. If fatherlessness were classified as a disease, it would be considered an epidemic—worthy of attention as a national emergency.
Tender Lions is a raw, unfiltered look at one father-son relationship on the brink of destruction and how, against all the odds, it was not only saved but deepened. Raising a boy to be a man is not something left to chance—there’s always hope and time for an authentic father-son relationship.
Brian Becker, a corporate leadership development expert, educator, and nonprofit executive and his son, Jeff, co-founder of the nationally acclaimed basketball academy Powerhouse Hoops, hope to inspire men that it’s never too late to build a dynamic father-son relationship.
In this conversation with Brian and Jeff, we discuss the alarming statistics between fatherlessness and high-school dropout rates, teen pregnancies and behavioral issues. Brian and Jeff shine a spotlight on their relationship – the impact of lies and secrets and how they were able to restore trust and connection through vulnerability, integrity, and unconditional love. We explore the power of hope, what it really means to be a man and how to raise a tender lion – a man who is emotionally, spiritually and relationally healthy and whole.
Key Takeaways
- About 30% of children in the U.S. live in a home without a dad and a larger percentage, the dad is there but he’s emotionally checked out.
- Children without fathers are statistically much more likely to be high school dropouts, experience teen pregnancy, mental health issues, suicide, homelessness, and be sentenced to juvenile detention.
- Dark secrets are an anchor. They suck you down emotionally.
- Getting back into integrity requires a person to get honest, get help and get humble.
- Humility comes from vulnerability.
- When you tell lies for years it makes you arrogant.
- Strong societies can’t be strong without strong families.
- Failure is awesome. Winning the tournament is nice but you don’t learn from winning, you learn from losing and you learn from preparing to win.
- When the pressure is on, that’s when you find out you really are.
- By facing what you’re hiding, that’s where you’re going to find your strength. The truth sets you free.
Resources 
Connect With Brian and Jeff Becker
- Website: tenderlions.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenderLionsBook
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TenderLionsBook
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenderlionsbook
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