Run to Daylight: 4 Lessons from Lombardi

“The character, rather than education, is man’s greatest need and man’s greatest safeguard, because character is higher than intellect”

Vince Lombardi

1. “I do not believe this game is as complex as many people think it is and as some try to make it.. We try to make it as uncomplicated as we can, because I believe that if you block and tackle better than the other team and the breaks are even you are going to win.” Lots of people make things complicated because they simply fail to understand the basics: or are unable to teach them well.
2.  “A ball club is made up of as many different individuals as there are positions on it.” Essential that you know the people first, then coach the skills and tactics second. 
3. “All of us are takers, but if a person can’t add something to what he takes from others he should get out. Unfortunately, some people will always be takers, and if they don’t get out they don’t get very far. In all my years of coachingI have never been successful using somebody else’s play“. At the beginning, we may do what we have done as athletes, or copy someone else. It is important to realise what fits into your system or adds to it compared to just adding “stuff”. 
4. “Everything we do, in these meetings or on the practice field, we do only for short periods. We never stay on one phase of this game for any great length of time, because if I get bored coaching the same thing over and over they are going to get bored learning it. Although there are those times when they are not getting something and I must fight that urge to keep them at it until they do.” This requires planning and self discipline as a coach. Even more important today.

A great book to read for all coaches (it only cost me £1.75 on abe books! Coach education can be affordable. Thanks to Vern Gambetta for recommending it.

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