Live To Win: "You don't coach football because you love the game. You coach football because you can't live without it."

Thursday, January 13, 2011

"You don't coach football because you love the game. You coach football because you can't live without it."

I remember the first time I heard that quote. I also remember thinking, "that's me." That was eight years go. What do I think when I hear that quote now? Simple, "that's definitely me."

Football is my life. It's that simple. I love everything about the game. I spend the season focused on winning and the off-season focused on getting me and my players better. I still study the game. I pick football subjects like they were college courses and throw myself into them. Do you have a good breakdown of a certain team/coach/concept? I want it. Honestly, I probably already have it. If not, gimme.

The only thing that tops studying the game is coaching the game. In my world football IS is life and life doesn't stop when the game ends. Neither does coaching. I love interacting with my players and building relationships and developing bonds with my athletes. Coaching is a 24/7 gig and want my players to know that. I want them to understand that what they do on the field means just as much as what they do off the field. I expect my players to crave winning and winning is an all the time thing. I live to win.

Chip Kelly and his national runner-up Oregon Ducks had a simple motto during the 2010 season: "Win The Day."

To be successful in this world that has to be your goal. You "Win The Day" by attacking everything with all that you have. For some people that means saving lives or winning court cases. For others it means earning minimum wage or doing your homework. Regardless of who you are and what cards you have been dealt, you can always give your best. You will never be truly successful if you do not give maximum effort in everything you do. Sure, you may cruise by in one facet of your life but you will never be a complete man. Success can only be found when you have exhausted all of your efforts. I leave you with this:

"Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.." - Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach, John Wooden

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: What are the most effective plays to run against a GAM defense? I coach a 4th grade football team from Oregon which runs the single wing exclusively. We have run the 16 power 29 times in one game alone! We have used the 22 and 32 wedge 22 times in a single game. Everybody is stacking the line against us with up to 10 defenders in the box.

Our 8-0 record is on the line next week against a team that we only beat 13-12. We had over 300 yards rushing that game but failed to score our usual four to five touchdowns per game.; November 1, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Pete DeWeese said...: Coach, I would be lying if I pretended to be a Single-Wing guru. I also do not see to many GAM defenses. Off the top of my head, the answer would be shift out of the traditional formation and make them spread out, or try to get on the edge with some type of speed sweep.; November 1, 2011 at 2:23 PM