As a Veteran of over 30 years of Head Coaching from the small town steel mill high school to the Orlando Breakers of the NFL I feel an obligation to pass on what I learned in my time to the next generation of coaches out there.
Today I hope all coaches are understanding the impact they have upon their players. When I was a high school head coach and typing specialist in a small high school in Pennsylvania, I was young, on the move up and very energetic. I wish I would have taken more time to enjoy my players and build relationships with them instead of chewing them up and spitting them out, or just carrying my nine iron around. I was more worried about revolutionizing football and getting out of Ampipe by creating the 6-2 stack monster- contain and cover with the corners- than I was the impact I was having on my players. I had a huge responsibility to these kids, helping them get a scholarship here, a scholarship there. You see going to college was the only way these kids had out of Ampipe, if not they would work in the mills all their life. Shadow went to West Virginia. But my point is that there is a time to chew on kids and get after it, but not after a tough loss as I once found out in the last high school game I coached, then dont hold grudges because they retaliate against your actions.
One critical game, my last high school game, I was amped up because I knew the coaches from Cal State were watching to see if they wanted to hire me for the next year and get me out of Ampipe myself, and had a wife and a little girl.
We lost the game on a critical fumble (see my talk about ball security on a wet night). I was upset because I know we let a HUGE opportunity slip through Shadows hands. I got a little too mad in the locker room and went off on my mouthy defensive back when I shouldnt' have, then I cut him, I even made him ride the cheer leader bus home.
This kid was one of those who knew he was a 5-10 corner and just wanted to trade football for a chance for a college degree in engineering. I wish I would have waited to coach them up when I was more under control. I cut him, then he got mad and got with some of our finest and trashed my house and land cruiser, and I was so frustrated I blackballed him from colleges. Because of my actions I could have deprived him of his dreams and who knows, he could have gone on to be a top navy fighter pilot, or be a super agent SHOWING ATHLETES THE MONEY, or be a super agent, a nascar driver for mellow yellow, a lawyer for the military who could handle the truth, possibly open up a bar in New York called Cocktails and dreams or like he dreamed of being an engineer and being able to walk at age 40. The sky was the limit for this kid and I should have worked to help him reach his potential - which I eventually did with an assist from my wife- but I could have limited him to working in the mills his whole life.
Hoping every COACH has players that use ALL THE RIGHT MOVES tonight. Good Luck Fellas and thanks for all you do for kids.
Today I hope all coaches are understanding the impact they have upon their players. When I was a high school head coach and typing specialist in a small high school in Pennsylvania, I was young, on the move up and very energetic. I wish I would have taken more time to enjoy my players and build relationships with them instead of chewing them up and spitting them out, or just carrying my nine iron around. I was more worried about revolutionizing football and getting out of Ampipe by creating the 6-2 stack monster- contain and cover with the corners- than I was the impact I was having on my players. I had a huge responsibility to these kids, helping them get a scholarship here, a scholarship there. You see going to college was the only way these kids had out of Ampipe, if not they would work in the mills all their life. Shadow went to West Virginia. But my point is that there is a time to chew on kids and get after it, but not after a tough loss as I once found out in the last high school game I coached, then dont hold grudges because they retaliate against your actions.
One critical game, my last high school game, I was amped up because I knew the coaches from Cal State were watching to see if they wanted to hire me for the next year and get me out of Ampipe myself, and had a wife and a little girl.
We lost the game on a critical fumble (see my talk about ball security on a wet night). I was upset because I know we let a HUGE opportunity slip through Shadows hands. I got a little too mad in the locker room and went off on my mouthy defensive back when I shouldnt' have, then I cut him, I even made him ride the cheer leader bus home.
This kid was one of those who knew he was a 5-10 corner and just wanted to trade football for a chance for a college degree in engineering. I wish I would have waited to coach them up when I was more under control. I cut him, then he got mad and got with some of our finest and trashed my house and land cruiser, and I was so frustrated I blackballed him from colleges. Because of my actions I could have deprived him of his dreams and who knows, he could have gone on to be a top navy fighter pilot, or be a super agent SHOWING ATHLETES THE MONEY, or be a super agent, a nascar driver for mellow yellow, a lawyer for the military who could handle the truth, possibly open up a bar in New York called Cocktails and dreams or like he dreamed of being an engineer and being able to walk at age 40. The sky was the limit for this kid and I should have worked to help him reach his potential - which I eventually did with an assist from my wife- but I could have limited him to working in the mills his whole life.
Hoping every COACH has players that use ALL THE RIGHT MOVES tonight. Good Luck Fellas and thanks for all you do for kids.
