Game Week!

For most teams in the country, this is the first weekend of the high school football season. With it comes an opportunity to set a positive tone for the rest of the season.  It can help build both momentum and morale which are crucial in a sport as mentally and physically demanding as football.  For those of us fortunate enough to have the opening game at home, it is a significant event for the school and local community.  A strong performance can ignite both school spirit and community support which can be a significant source of motivation throughout the season.  A  good start can be the first step toward achieving long-term goals, such as making the playoffs or winning a championship. It creates a foundation on which the rest of the season is built.

Both team and individual goals are established, and as coaches, we’ll seek to reinforce the very best effort, attitude, and performance we see across all three phases of the game. We’ll also reinforce the efforts and performance of those on the scout team and the staff who, “as iron sharpens iron,” have helped us hone the skills necessary for Friday night’s performance.

Whether the outcome is a win or loss, the first game provides a learning experience. It can highlight successes to be reinforced, areas where the team needs to grow and improve, and it helps to build resilience in facing future challenges.  After the weekend, half of the teams will remain undefeated while the other half will have experienced the adversity of their first loss. Regardless of wins and losses we wish they all compete at their best, and complete their games injury-free.  

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!