In Vermont, high school football is allowed six practices with no protective equipment between the end of Winter Sports and the beginning of Spring Sports. Our practices are scheduled Monday-Friday 11-16 March. Our focus will not be on Xs & Os but rather on the non-position-specific fundamentals of football performed in a fun and encouraging manner.
We will also reintroduce an acronym we brought here when we took over the struggling program 10 years ago; S.W.A.T. It stands for be Smart, Work hard, And be Tough. There is an endless list of character traits you would want for your players but we felt those three were the ones we most needed to emphasize and the turnaround was astonishing.
Smart. We want our players to be able to learn, understand, and apply knowledge effectively on the field, in the classroom, and in our community. This includes practical, emotional, and societal intelligence allowing them to navigate life’s challenges to make meaningful contributions to the team, school, and community.
Work Hard. Working hard requires sacrifices and stepping out of your comfort zone. Players need to put in the necessary time, effort, and energy into achieving both individual and team success. As the saying goes, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Tough. Toughness can manifest in various forms including physical, mental, and emotional toughness. Physical toughness allows players to push their bodies beyond comfortable limits through developed endurance, strength, and stamina. Mental toughness allows players to manage stress effectively in high-pressure situations and maintain their determination to overcome setbacks and failures. Emotional toughness allows players to remain resilient in the face of adversity as well as composed when facing intense negative feelings.
I feel good reinforcing these points as they are all characteristics of strong teammates while training and playing together, as well as strong adults who will undoubtedly encounter circumstances requiring the same. Cultivating these character traits will allow us to develop players who can use their minds, bodies, and spirit to overcome obstacles and setbacks and refuse to be defeated by adversity while laying the foundations for decades to come.
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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