The Jerry McGuire moment . . . .

This is a great thread already.........


This is a microcsm of my life as a whole.......I WANT to do the right things for the right reasons, but


I find myself looking in the mirror too much (metaphorically speaking)


Everyone's goal should be to some day care for others more than themselves........that requires more than RIGHT action, it requires the RIGHT intention

What, thats.....bad?? =

Just kidding

There's nothing at all wrong with being all of those things coach, just as long as you remember to be the last thing as well....it's ok to enjoy it for everything it is.....job well done coach.

Good point coachkell. In fact, I believe that we do our best work in improving the lives of young people precisely when our egos and insecurities meet to maximize our competitive drive.

is it possible to do all of those at once???

i think so,
what do others think?

Of course it is. I love to win, if we didn't win I am sure we woulod have good seats on Fri nights to watch the games from. It's what most coaches are hired to do. I love to X and O and make adjustements to shut someone or to figure out who we need to run a play against this look and yes I do enjoy out coaching someone. I like to compete I love to win. Sure its an ego thing. But I never ever ever let myself get to the point where I think I know it all or I think I am the smartest guy in the room. When you stop learning and wanting to learn its time to get out. Sure all those things are important to me and keep me going in coaching.

But the thing I love the most about coaching is when you are out somewhere and run into former players who seem excited to see you and stop and talk for awhile. And I am not talking about the kids who were the starts but the kids who maybe never step on the field but still stop and talk and keep those relationships. I feel that is when you are truly a great coach. You could have the greatest record in the world but if someone asks your former players what they think of you and they M'F you all day then I think you are a failure.

I have seen it first hand, won a state championship were nationally ranked. 3 years later had a rough patch and we were 4-6. People were going nuts screaming about the coaching blahh blahh blahh. But the best part is I still see kids from that 4-6 team who come up give me a hug and want to talk for awhile and stay in touch. I tell the guy who was the HC those years that people can say what they want about our record but I know those kids still respect us, still seek us out, want to be around us, still act the way we taught them to.

One last point(if anyone is still reading) and I am sure you have all heard a story like this but we were in a FCA type workshop. The guy in charge told a story about a coach in the room. Said the coach was sitting at home one day when the phone rang. Its was a player he coached in the 70's hadn't talked to the player since he graduated. The players went on to tell the coach how he had cancer and was going through treatments and was now in remission. Went on to thank the coach for all he taught him when he played because that is what he thought of and remembered as he went thorough treatement. All his old HS football coach told him about not quiting and keep fighting. Said he kept thinking about all the coach taught him and it was the reason he got through the treatments. I would rather have someone tell a story like that about me than tell someone my W-L record when I am gone.

I'm in the same boat coach, I was raised in a family of coaches, my father coached at every level, except pro. That's what I grew up knowing. There was always a bunch of guys sitting aroud the house, watching game fils, on the dining room wall, or on the TV. Coaches became what I idolized, not players so much, though I did have a few.

That's all part of the lure (not lore) of the sport, there's so much more to it, than x's and O's....

I have added a few young coaches to my staff in the last two seasons. I see some striking similarities in them. Sometimes they let their competitive natures (that we all have) get the best of them and they do bone headed things. These are quality young men who I hope stay in the game but they are not centered on teaching the life skills at this point.

I remember being there about 15-20 years ago (doing bone headed things) all full of pride and being able to outdo most of the kids I was coaching. Believing that my X's were better than your O's.

Most of us who have been coaching for a little while probably have a memory of when we became more big pictured. Where the Jimmys and Joes became much more important that the X's and O's.

I remember watching a Walter Payton interview following his retirement (late 80s'). He spoke about the things he would remember most about his NFL career. They were the relationships and the people. The records were great and all but he singled out many people who helped impact him as a person.

At that point I knew I had to apply more focus on the life lessons and the relationship aspects for my players. Because, in the end, these are the things the mind will remember the most and be able to act on in future settings.

Coaching became much more meaningful.

Amen to Airman.
Love to play. Play to win. Win with class