I recently saw a promotion for another football camp and on it was the quote “Learn From The Best.” One can safely assume, they are not the best coaches in the world. Were they proclaiming to be the best in their region, state, or town?
When American Football Monthly did an article on me and “the Heel Toe philosophy” of OLine steps I teach, the editorial labeled me as a “guru of offensive line play in the northeast part of the country.” Did that make me the best? The best in the northeast? Maybe one of the best? Satisfying though the thought may be, I’m reminded to be a true “one in a million,” on a planet with nearly 8 billion people, means there are 8,000 more out there just like you!
What is it to be the best? Surpassing all others in excellence, achievement, or quality? If so, then I am clearly not the best. Is being the best giving your all into what you love to do every single day and striving to be the best you can be? Then maybe I am my best. Each of us in our own way has to contend with the difference between being “the best” or being “my best.” Given the simple statistics, and recalling the serenity prayer and “things I can control…” I think it’s fair to say we have a far greater likelihood of being our own best self rather than chasing some other essentially arbitrary criteria over which we have little control.
I have spent most of my adult life learning the skills and techniques of offensive line play and simplifying them into ways to teach players. One of the most flattering things I heard was a comment from Mike Kuchar, co-founder of XandO Labs when he said “The clarity of your teaching simplifies the game tremendously.” On the campus of the Hun School of Princeton this Sunday, I will teach the complicated techniques of offensive line play in simple terms players can learn. Having devoted my life to learning, teaching, and guiding student-athletes, I’m committed to being my best, sharing what I’ve learned from so many, and doing so in a way I hope will help others become their best when they square off on gridirons around the Mid-Atlantic this coming fall.
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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