There was a time when I asked myself this question about coaching, “Do nice guys finish last?”
Does positive coaching really work?
So often I see rude, obnoxious coaches succeed. I wondered if coaches could actually SUCCEED by doing everything right, by taking no shortcuts, by following the rules and coaching with fairness and integrity. Or is it true that nice guys finish last as the old saying suggests?
Well, yesterday, the first day of this New Year, I spend the day kicking back and watching movies with my kids. One of the movies we watched was When the Game Stands Tall.
This movie answers the question above.
Legendary Coach Bob Ladouceur led his team to an amazing 151-game winning streak, more than doubling the previous record and he says…
“It’s not about football. It’s about helping to assist you to grow up, so when you take your position in the world, you can be depended on.”
Life lessons trump athletic accomplishments and this movie, for me, made that point over and over and over again. It showed you CAN play the game with honor AND be highly successful in the record books at the same time. Never give up the former for the latter!
This movie emphasizes TEAM and many other awesome lessons. It also shows Coach Ladouceur learning a lesson I see a LOT of coaches miss, about the importance of family.
Coaches do NOT put the game above your spouse and kids. Parents do NOT make your relationship with your kids only about the game or their athletic accomplishments. There’s an example of what NOT to be like as a sports parent in the movie as well.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, check it out. Also, if you’ve seen some really great sports or coaching movies you love, please leave me a comment and let me know which ones you like best so I can watch them too 🙂
