“Not one of you….”
This message was repeated every single time. The message was not meant to be disrespectful; it was not meant to discourage, but it clearly had a purpose. At the start of every season, once I became head coach, I made a calculated decision to start day one of every season with an impactful statement that would clarify the purpose of the Mariner football program’s mission.
“Not one of you… let me repeat that… not one of you are going to make your livelihood, as an adult, playing professional football. I have been doing this for thirty years and that fact still holds true at Marine City High School. You must have clear priorities here, and your schoolwork is priority number one. Then you need to ask yourself, why the heck am I going to bust my ass in 90-degree heat? The answer is simple… you are going to learn things during the process that will serve you well for the rest of your life!”
Regardless of which sport I have coached, this message is shared with every single student-athlete that is part of the team. “The greatest thing you will learn this season is how to evaluate yourself and how to develop a plan to ensure you will improve in certain areas.”
As the season progresses, we discuss how to watch film; how to focus on the skills involved; and how to evaluate personal abilities. Then we discuss practice nuances and techniques that will allow them to improve on the skills they are lacking or need improvement. The process is continual and repeats after every competition. The chase for excellence is one with no end point, and is one where the common man fatigues early and drops out of the race. What was preached by the Mariner coaching staff at every opportunity was the notion that failure is part of the process and should never be ignored or avoided.
Without failure there would be no growth – so in order to move forward you must first fail. In today’s world of the transfer portal, or high school kids transferring from one school to another, what gets left behind is the process. The process of failure, evaluation, and pursuit are neglected and replaced with a pathway called Easy Street.
As a retired educator and coach, the satisfaction I feel seeing former student-athletes excel in their chosen occupation – or as a father, or as a lifelong friend – is enormous. It is a joy that shines far beyond the rush we felt after big wins and championships. It is validation that what we were preaching as coaches really did land in the right spot.
I received a Facebook message recently from a former student-athlete. He was not a star and was not on a team that made a deep playoff run. He was, however, a solid player that worked his butt off and a fierce competitor. He now resides in sunny San Diego. He has become a professional BMX biker with endorsement deals and all that goes with it. The young man sent me a clip of himself riding and performing tricks on his bike. He thanked me for all that he had learned in the Mariner football program, and he shared how the evaluation tools he learned in high school, now serve him well in his professional passion.
I commented on the clip, “Love it brother, your legs must be like steel springs now.” His response brought a smile to my face, “Thanks to your program, Coach….my legs will always be strong.”
Not one….not one single player….and I am completely at peace with that, because for hundreds of players, the true message was received and implemented.
