I love football. In fact it is the only sport I ever really excelled in. I didn’t play college football like my sons but I was a pretty good high school player. Early in my career, coaches recognized I had some strengths. I was a competitor. I was intense. I was coachable. They also saw several deficiencies. I was not big, strong, coordinated or fast. In other words, on the surface you would think I had little chance of success. But, and here is a huge key, remember I was easy to coach.
Under the excellent tutelage of some very dedicated men, I was taught techniques and reads that served me well. When I played defense, I could read the direction the play was going by the first steps the lineman made who were suppose to block me. I picked up subtle movements the running backs made pre snap that tipped their hand on where they were heading on the play. Those reads helped me make up for not being technically fast. I became football fast. I could get to where I needed to be faster than many who had greater speed because of the insights given me by my coaches. And on the other side of the ball I became an all- county center on the offensive line. Every week I would be charged with the assignment of blocking someone 25-50 pounds heavier than me. It is impossible to do using just average strength. But a coach taught me the importance of leverage and technique. I could and did win the battle most of the time against guys way bigger. How did I do it? I was willing to listen to a coach who taught me the techniques and skills I would need to succeed.
Regardless of how successful you are, you can be better when you listen to a good coach. In the game you can only see what is happening from a single perspective, your own. With a coach, you get another pair of eyes and a lot of wisdom that can help you rise way above your natural ability. I have a serious question for you. Do you need a different perspective? Are you coachable? Sometimes being coachable is all you need to really thrive in the Big Life.
