Wednesday, August 8, 2007

"Little" Game this Saturday.

Optimism continues to run unchecked down there in Bearbonnaise. We will see the starters play about two series on Saturday night. Anything short of a dominant 14-0 lead midway through the 1st quarter will cause a disturbance in the "force." Just wait for the mood swings on Monday if Rex tosses a pick. My heart is aflutter with anticipation for the big practice game.

Today is the first practice for the mighty 11-12 year-old, St. Isaac Jogues Trojans. It is also my first practice as a head coach. It will also be my last year as a football coach for a while. Having another baby girl will enlist me into the head-dad role again.

As most of you who know me, this head coaching thing could bring a bit of the lunatic out. For instance, I have thought lately that two-a-days don't seem so unreasonable anymore. Rational thinking, however, allows me to decide that doubles are not appropriate for 5th and 6th graders. Really, the best thing I learned about coaching football is that although I played football for 14 years and have studied, thought about and watched football for 41 years, I really don't know shit about coaching football. That realization makes me a better coach every day.

Coaches are teachers. Hence, I think about teaching. Although football is the subject matter, communicating and instructing are the real skills. I don't believe you necessarily have had to play a lot of football to coach the game. Certainly, knowledge of the basics of the game is essential. But the ability to teach the game is a whole different discipline.

I have had many coaches who were, for lack of a better title, assholes. Many of them bragged on their glory days. Football playing experience helped create these monsters. However, I have played a lot of football. The three men with whom I coach have all played college football. One coach played on the 1983 University of Miami national championship team. Yet, these are all good men and excellent coaches. Why? Because they put the kids first. They truly take care of these boys. We feel responsible for giving them the best football experience of their lives.

What's the difference among ex-football player coaches? I think the longer you have played football, you will ultimately be humbled by the game. If you were a grade school standout, high school is an awakening. If you were talented enough to blow through your high school career, Division 1 college is waiting to beat you down. If college football was no challenge, please get in line for a speed trap ass-kicking over there in the NFL, rookie. Eventually, you have got to have or remember that day or play that humbled you as a football player.

As for me, I was always humbled by the game. Football was a constant challenge. I loved the competition; I loved surprising coaches with perfectly executed blocks. I appreciated the mental skills I had in order to compensate for my lack of physical ones. It allowed me to get on the field and be a part of a team, be a part of victories and be a part of something I could say that I help build.

With our collective humility, we as a staff want to help our kids fall in love with the game that we love. We don't take ourselves too seriously. We reflect on all the bad coaches we have had and don't repeat their mistakes. We take the good stuff from the good ones. Most importantly, we watch and listen to our kids. When they respect the game and enjoy the experience, we feel great. When they come back for another season, we have done our job.

1 comment:

Beth said...

Good luck this season. It's great that you are sharing your passion with the kids!