How Do You Practice 'Wanting it More'?

For years, my gameplan has been simple. Want. It. More.

Years ago, at a speaking engagement, a young coach asked me a question. (again, this really happened and I'm not using a made-up situation to make it seem like I hadn't thought about it). He asked me, "How do you practice 'wanting it more'"? - Great question. Glad he asked it.

Here's what I did last season with the Jackals: I stood in front of the team with a TV monitor and DVD player. I asked the players to sit and try to watch 15 seconds of what I was about to show them. I pressed 'play' and showed a Jonas Brothers concert. 

After barely getting through the allotted time, I switched it off and asked them a question: "How bad to you want to beat the living crap out of them right now?"

Our starting strong safety jumped up and shouted, "Ass-whoopin' time!!". My defensive end started punching the seat in front of him and his backup screamed "Kill them sonsabitches!". 

After several minutes of screaming, bashing folding chairs, punching walls, tearing off clothing and collectively vomiting in rage, I said something else to them: 

"Take what you feel about the Jonas Brothers, right now....Take how much you WANT to hurt them...and...gentlemen...want it even MORE." 

They did. Soon, the entire team was rioting, burning Nick Jonas in effigy, bare-ass dumping on street medians as they marched to the practice field, spitting blood and throwing rocks at squirrels. 

It. Was. Beautiful. We won our game that week by a score of 10-7. 

So, my message to you today is this: Find the inner 'want' in you, then, want it more. Practice wanting it more by manifesting a 'want' into a physical tirade of childish, boorish, borderline-psychopathic behavior. THEN, you'll find success. 

On Jackals!

Coach

Winners Win..

Some students in my Football Coaching 101 class asked me "what makes a winner?" (no, really, they did. I'm not asking myself that question in order to make it appear that I really want to spout an opinion on it...)

I answered, "Simple. Winners win."

Think about THAT for a minute. I mean, a whole minute.

What separates winners from losers? Well, like I said - winners win, losers lose. But what MAKES the winner? Ah-HA! Great question.

I put it to you like this. If you don't win, you lose. If you lose, you don't win. That's the bottom line. You make your own bed. You make your own breaks. You make your own win. THAT'S what makes a winner - making yourself win.

Any questions?

On Jackals!
Coach

Make Plays!

Gentlemen, 

If you unscrewed the top of my head, footballs would fall out. That's how much I think about football.

This is my first blog post, so, just bare with me as I begin this process. It will be a journey of highs and lows, but, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, we'll be a better football team...because of this blog. 

If I'm not mistaken, I was the first to use the words "make plays" when referring to keys to a particular game strategy. I believe it was sportscaster Len something-or-other that asked me, "Coach, what do you see as the key to today's game?". I responded with something that, on the surface, might seem trite, simple, insipid, or smug, but, if you look deeper it's not. It's just the damn truth. 

My football winning philosophy is pretty darn simple: Make. Plays. 

What do I mean by that? Simple. Let's say the coaching staff calls a play. That play is one that needs to be made...so, we expect you to make that play. If you don't make that play, there will be another chance, but, if. subsequently, you don't make THAT play, well, then, non-made plays have a way of adding up into one big, fat, stinking pile of non-making-plays. 

I, also, believe I was the coach who started using the phrase "when you talk about..." to begin sentences.
I notice that many analysts have adopted my segue. More power to them, I say! 

I recall Bob whutzitz on one of them sports channels asking me about Tennesee. I was at a loss for a quick answer, so, I stalled for a few seconds by saying "..when you talk about Tennessee, you have to talk about..". And it bought me something very valuable...TIME. 

In the seconds it takes to say that phrase, you can formulate a thought that will sound intelligent, even though, more than likely, it's banal, redundant coach-speak. 

Anyway, I hope these things help. I hate to make this all about me, but, there we are. 

On Jackals! 
Coach