Michael Fields, Ph.D., MBA, RAA

This paragraph by Kobe Bryant hits hard: “Everyone wants to be a beast. Everyone wants to be the best. But very few people are willing to do what it actually takes. Because what it takes is boring. It is waking up at 4:00 AM. It is shooting the same shot a thousand times. It is watching the film when you are tired. People fall in love with the result, but they hate the process. You have to fall in love with the boredom. You have to fall in love with the repetition. If you can find joy in the mundane work that no one else sees, the lights will eventually shine on you.”

Linebackers: You don’t need a new drill. You need to become more obsessed with the fundamentals.

Interesting fact: A high school football game has 48 minutes on the clock. But a study found the average play lasts just 5.6 seconds. At 130 plays, that’s roughly 12 minutes of actual action between BOTH teams. Months in the weight room. Summer heat. Film. Practice. All for opportunities measured in literal seconds. And you don’t know which 5.6 seconds will decide the game. That backside block you took off? The pursuit you cut short because somebody else would get him? That might’ve been it.

Great coaches tell the truth. Great players learn to face it. Failure gives you a choice: Defend it. Blame it. Avoid it. Or own it, learn from it, and get better. Great teams don’t run from the truth. They grow from it.

8 Realities of a High School Coach 1. It will consume you 2. There will be critics 3. You are not in it for the $ 4. There is no overnight success 5. You need a supportive spouse 6. You will not make everyone happy 7. You can’t want it more than the kids 8. It is still WORTH it!