By Thomas Gallagher
I have been musing on the role of coaching in my own life, early on with equestrian trainer Jimmy Williams, and more recently with Kenny Hall, my personal trainer at Anytime Fitness. I asked my son Thomas, an offensive lineman at Georgetown University, to share his view on the role of coaching in achieving our aspirations not only in physical fitness, but in general. -MG
Humans are extraordinary beings; courageous, proud and resilient. Often times we hear stories of ordinary people performing great feats of strength, speed, bravery, compassion and so on. However these qualities both physical and mental are not inherent to humans. Environment is a key foundation, and people, like any great monument, need a base.
The question that is left is that if our environment is our foundation, then what or rather who is the sculpture? It is true that some athletes are born but more often than not, the great ones are made. Ultimately it does not come down to how big or fast someone is, but how they can endure and find confidence when adversity strikes. These aspects are instilled not by years of lifting weights or an extra workout or two. All it takes is just one person saying "you can" or "I believe".
There have been many great coaches in the realm of sports, ranging all the way from gymnasts and bikers to professional baseball and football stars. All great coaches have one thing in common, they believe in the young men and women they are coaching. Vince Lombardi is the most celebrated coach in all of NFL history. He took the Green Bay Packers to 2 Super Bowl titles and 5 NFL championships in only 7 years of coaching. This was a man that believed in the men he was coaching. He did not win by telling them how bad they were when they lost; he won because he focused on his player's strengths and fortified their weaknesses. Bart Starr was the quarterback for the Packers during Lombardi's coaching career. Before Lombardi, Starr was a "nobody" with a losing record. It was Lombardi who brought leadership to the table and trusted Bart with that leadership. Lombardi after having talked with Bart one day decided that it was in the best interest of the team to not ridicule Starr in front of the team because they depended on Bart and Lombardi for leadership. This aspect of Lombardi's coaching helped give the Packers confidence and when they took the field they knew they were champions, they knew they could win.
Now don't misunderstand, all good coaches will tell you what you are doing wrong. However, all good coaches will praise you when you do great. These are the kind of people that sculpt the champion, whether they are born with natural talent or not it is the coach that shapes an athlete's life. After Lombardi had finished his coaching career at Green Bay, he spent his final season in 1969 with the Washington Redskins where he broke a 14-0 losing streak. While coaching he noticed that Washington's running back, Larry Brown, was deaf in one ear, a secret Larry had hid his entire life. Lombardi noticed how Brown always tilted his head to one direction indicating his deafness. He then made Brown go get a hearing aid and he proceeded to have a successful career in the NFL. Lombardi did not yell or kick him off the team for keeping such a secret, but instead, he helped him fix the problem and strengthen his weakness. The Redskins went 7-5-1 for Lombardi's last season of coaching and he laid the foundation for the success the Redskins had in the 70's. Athletes are a delicate species, it is up to the coach to encourage and motivate an athlete so they can excel and pursue perfection. His players trusted him because they believed in what he did and admired and respected him.
I remember a coach I had back in little league that did nothing but tell me how bad I was at baseball. Well guess what? I ended up quitting that sport because I had lost my fire; I lost my confidence in my own ability. Often times, athletes are consumed by the sports they play and this can be life shaking when someone whom you are learning from does not believe in you, despite good intentions. Psychologically an athlete's mind is fragile at first. Part of the coaches' strategy when training an athlete has to do with shaping a state of mind, in which the athlete gains the confidence to work through their weaknesses. The good coach trains the athlete, the great coach molds the athlete into something more, a winner on the field and in life. By feeding the fire that burns in their athletes and believing in them giving them the courage to not give up, the coach can truly sculpt lives for generations.
Thomas Gallagher
Offensive Lineman and Student
Georgetown University
Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen.
The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.
-Vince Lombardi
(Originally published July 2013)
