It is difficult not feeling sorry for yourself these days. Especially for those of us dealing with high school students. Schools are closed, meals and health services are no longer accessible, friends are in self-quarantine, classes are online, sports seasons are canceled, proms and graduations are threatened. These are difficult times.
But my concerns were put into perspective today when I was exiting our school’s publicly accessible fitness center. An elderly couple I had never seen before was coming in. I thought it odd that with all the social distancing they would enter an often crowed space, especially at their age.
So I stopped and asked, “how I could help them?” The reply, “we were just hoping we could come in and get warm.” We welcomed them into our lobby and gave each of them a hot cup of coffee.
Though we easily find ourselves consumed by the uncertainty around us, and may unfortunately only have the stressors of the day sensationalized and amplified by myriad channels, I was reminded today, of the importance of doing for others. Part of our teambuilding culture is to put the good of the team (quite literally the good of others) ahead of our own interests.
A welcoming smile, a warm lobby, and a hot cup of coffee in and of themselves may not be much, but we found a way to give others something to be grateful for amidst the stressors of the day. In moments such as these, the cacophony of a 24hr news cycle, staccato of social media feeds, and a world where toilet paper and milk disappear from supermarket shelves fade away and afford us the opportunity to give some time, some attention, and some relief to others.
As I say to my team quite often, (and you may have read a few times on this blog), “The hand that gives, gathers.” These are difficult times but be thankful for your many blessings and look for opportunities to help others be thankful for theirs.
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!
complicated by coaches trying to prove how brilliant they are. But the key to prolonged success in football is keeping it simple so the players know it almost as well as the coaches. One of the greatest compliments I received was from Mike Kuchar, Co-founder and Senior Editor of XandOlabs.com, when he said, “the clarity of your teaching simplifies the game tremendously.”
There was a tiger paw everywhere you looked on campus and in town and everyone wore Clemson Tiger apparel. The football stadium and facility were a highlight. Championship rings and trophy displays were amazing. I was struck by scope, scale, and complexity of the football operations and culture, but then realized the same teambuilding process we employ in northern Vermont (albeit at a much smaller scale) happens there in Clemson, South Carolina.
Atlantic City, NJ to attend the 
My focus turned to being great at the job I had; investing in players, building teams, and studying the game. I looked for opportunities to contribute, to help others succeed rather than pursuing the “next great job.”
Games are all about time competitive decision making, and a coach or player’s ability to adjust and improvise to rapidly evolving circumstances is essential to success.
Line Clinic at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Pascack Rd in Bergen County NJ will kick off at 8:15am on Monday, January 20 with my presentation on Screen Pass Options. I will be followed by an all-star lineup of offensive line coaches including Pat Flaherty, formerly of the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, Kyle Flood, University of Alabama, Andrew Aurick, Rutgers University, Sean Devine, Villanova University and Chris Bache, Stony Brook University.
O Line Skills 