Our Week 12 Leadership Trait is Knowledge. Knowledge is the information and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. Think about “what we know” and “how we know it.”
Knowledge is also the understanding of self and responsibility. Knowledge, as it pertains to the student-athlete, is the range of one’s perception, perspective, and context in light of responsibilities, information, and assignments including academic, athletic, and sport-specific knowledge and the understanding of oneself, one’s team, and one’s teammates.
Football is a game of interdependence. On any given play, 11 players depend on each other to understand and deliver on the responsibilities of their respective roles for the good of the team. One must understand his/her responsibilities, how they relate to teammates’ actions, and then act in a complementary fashion to achieve success. This requires knowledge of responsibilities, contingencies, and the willingness to make decisions and deliver.
While studying his responsibilities, an offensive lineman also learns how the other linemen’s blocks complement his efforts to achieve the team’s goals. Working with his coaches in preparation for a particular opponent, the offensive lineman considers his Man, Zone, and Gap scheme blocks and potential decisions versus the variety of defensive fronts the opponent may present. The lineman accumulates and applies his knowledge and understanding to make good decisions, execute his blocks and support his teammates. This knowledge of individual and team responsibilities allows our linemen to be interchangeable so they can play any position on the line. Further, this flexibility allows us to sub in our next best lineman if any of the 5 starters should have to come out of the game for any reason.
In our personal lives, we have knowledge of roles and relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances… Knowledge of subjects, concepts, and ideas… The “Leader In Every Locker,” program is intended to support knowledge of the concepts of character and the traits displayed by successful leaders. We hope the study and discussion of these traits will help our student-athletes and others develop the knowledge of themselves, their character, and the characteristics of success.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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