First game

Kipling advised: "meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat these two imposters just the same."

Therefore - you learn to COPE with winning AND losing. The former (of course) is much easier than the latter.

Coach Cella,

I think I probably agree with you. After last night, I really cannot imagine *not* being on the sidelines. With me getting out of the Navy after New Years and currently job hunting, my first priority is finding a job to pay the bills. But secondarily, I would love to find a job that will allow me to continue coaching, wherever I may go.

VERY PROFOUND BILL! Kipling also advised: if you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, then the world and everything thats in it, is yours and whats more, you will be a man my son. (paraphrased) When he penned those immortal words of THE GREATEST POEM EVER WRITTEN IM MY HUMBLE OPINION, HE GAVE US ALL SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO REALLY SUCCEED IN THIS LIFE. I have always been impressed and tried to live by this line all my life: if you can walk with kings, nor lose the common touch....... always meant to me that no matter to what heights you are able to ascend, never forgot those who helped you realize your dreams along the way.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

LOU,

If that is your true feelings about coaching, and it must be as you would have no reason to say otherwise,
I WOULD GET OUT IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT HESITATION AND SEEK SOME OTHER ENDEAVOR THAT YOU CAN ENJOY DOING! Life is way to short to spend a life time in something that you do not enjoy! That really comes as a shock to me after having worked with you for going on 4 years or so now. At your young age, you will surely find something that you can derive pleasure from, not just fill a void with in your life. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Bill, I CAN'T live without football. That's the issue I face. It's the only extra-curricular thing I've done for the last two decades. After the Cambria Heights situation, I gave the same thought that you and Jerry just posed. My realization was... I cannot live without football. I need to stay in the sport--I don't know how to do anything else other than 1. be a great Christian; 2. be a great son/brother/nephew; 3. be a great educator. The three things I mentioned are all viewed as noble; however, it's not enough for me. Football makes me who I am. Without it, I live a pretty trite life on earth.

Jerry, I will try to call you tomorrow in the afternoon. If not, I sincerely apologize and I will get in touch with you soon enough.

After reading all of these posts I thought about time.

We open up tomorrow. I am a nervous wreck. I won't be able to sleep tonight although I should. I have watched, cutup, copied hours and hours of film. I have scouted tons of scrimmages and finally tonight a game. I think of all the hours of "work" I've put in since the end of last season. I love eating dinner with the guys on my staff. I love it when we go from talking about cover 2 to marriage, church, school, and who knows what else. I love working with people that work as hard as you do.

I can't believe how much I love coaching. I love my players. I told them that today. We've been through so much together. I'm so proud of them no matter what the score tomorrow. I love the people I coach with. I'm proud I work for my head coach. he is a great person and an incredible mentor. I am so lucky that my wife supports me and allows me to be swallowed up by football season anymore.

I think I may actually enjoy coaching more rewarding than playing. Is that possibe? In many ways it is a lot like being an offensive lineman. You never get singled out. You achieve greatness through the success of others. You become part of something greater than yourself. Whether you win or lose you learn so much about your values, life, and yourself.

How lucky are we? If I didn't coach football I'd waste so much time!


Does anyone know where I can buy a fast forward button for real life? I can't wait until 1pm tomorrow when we kickoff our season!

28-26

Got the W

What a game. Boy was it hot. Our kids handled the heat better and made just enough plays.

I need to take a nap! I just have to wait until after this Notre Dame/PSU game.

Guess what made the difference. We were sitting around in the office this morning waiting to get going. We threw on Lou Holtz' "DO RIGHT" video and it got us all going. We were ready.

You can't do better than Lou's 3 rules
1) DO RIGHT
2) DO YOUR BEST
3) TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED

or his essential questions
1) Can I trust you
2) Are you committed to excellence
3) Do you care about me


Life is good after a hard fought W.
Thank goodness we have a full week before our next game!

Coach R

Coaches,

After reading some of the wonderful posts on this topic I also began thinking about it and my feelings are so in line with Coach "Rebel" I feel so lucky and truly love and enjoy every moment I have coached. We opened our schedule last week and needless to say we took a whooping. Of course the result was nowhere near where I wanted it or where I expect it to go but the process of preparation for the game and now the recovery and team building, coach building, etc. etc. after such a tough loss is just wonderful to me. Of course the process might have been more fun and easier had we won the game but going through the process win or lose is what I love.

TIGERONE
VERY PROFOUND BILL! Kipling also advised: if you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, then the world and everything thats in it, is yours and whats more, you will be a man my son.

I believe this is the first time I have read or heard that poem and it is truly great. I read it over and over and it just really rings true to me.

Thank you all for sharing.

Coach Chris

YO BILL,

YOU SENT ME THAT 3 YEARS AGO AND YOU DIDN'T MENTION YOU WROTE THE ONE ABOUT THE WOLF.
YOU ARE A MAN OF MANY TALENTS, TRULY. I REALLY ENJOYED THAT ONE, AS WELL AS, KIPLING'S OF COURSE. NICE TOUCH, COACH.

Jerry

YOU DON'T DO BRAIN SURGERY TOO, DO YOU? HEHEHEHE

Jerry

BILL,

I meant to say the one about "athletics", not Kipling's wolf. In all seriousness, you did a good job!

Jerry

PREZ,

YOU MUST COACH THE LITTLE GUYS, RIGHT?

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

I've been away from the forum for a while, not reading or responding that much. I hopped on today because I have a lot of free time in my new position as a Teacher's Assistant in the In School Suspension room and the kids today are being very good and doing work. This post made me stop and read through the entire thing. It meandered back and forth, but I found myself really wanting to respond to the original post.
Tomorrow we are playing our 5th game of the season, but that's really immaterial, I guess. When I was a player I never really thought of coaching. I wanted to stay close to the game. But, I always said that I wanted to be someone that a lot of people would remember. I never wanted to be forgotten and that's why I originally went to college with the dream of becoming a famous sportscaster. However, things didn't go exactly to plan and I wound up having to take off several years from college. During that time my younger brother was still in high school and his coach asked me to join his staff as an assistant. I found a way to work out my work schedule so I could do it. I was 21 years old and it was my first year not PLAYING football since I was 9. At first I found myself feeling very empty at the end of a day of practice because I wasn't the one out there doing the running, repetitions, and hitting. However, the longer preseason went on, the more used to my role I became. I also found myself forming a bond with the kids. The first game I was very conflicted. I found myself looking for the "rush" I got as a player. It never came and I was doubting whether I was really ready for kickoff when it came. We won in a convincing fashion and again I had that bit of an empty feeling. I almost felt removed from the win a bit. As the year went on, I saw how I had to change. I loved working with the kids, seeing "the light click on" in practice and then seeing it show in a game. I loved how the kids wanted to hang around. I loved seeing how they looked at me as if I was something special to them. I was hooked. That team changed the direction of my life. I decided that when I returned to college, I would try to become a teacher. That decision led me to doing observation hours, which connected me to an old college teammate, which got me the coaching job I am currently doing, which has led to me making connections and gaining respect within this district from the administration and getting asked to perform jobs with more and more responsibility. That first team, though unsuccessful in the win-loss columns, got me hooked on kids and coaching and I can't ever see myself stopping. I'm still young, only 29, but I know now that this is the best way to never be forgotten. The best way to really be known and remembered by a lot of people. Coaching is the way to really make a positive, lasting impact on the world. I will coach until the day I die.