Week one…Pressure is a privilege
I read the play perfectly right from the start. The QB rolled left and from my safety position my eyes immediately locked in on the tight end drag. Hazel Park rolled the dice on fourth and goal from the five-yard line, late in the game. The ball was thrown a bit high but I was in position to make the play. I stepped in front of the tight end and jumped hoping to make the game saving interception. Unfortunately for the Spartans the ball bounced off my hands and bounded upwards only to land perfectly in the Hazel Park receivers outstretched paws.
That touchdown led to a week one victory for the Hazel Park Vikings in my senior year at Warren Fitzgerald. Needless to say, I was devastated even though I played well in every other facet of the game.
Week one of high school football is on the doorsteps for teams in Michigan. For many athletes this may be the first time they are experiencing mountainous pressure leading up to the kickoff. For coaches, no other game during the season has as much preparation time as week one. With an entire offseason, summer camps and the first couple weeks of practice devoted to one team, this games pressure is intense.
Every school wants to start the season and the school year with that victory. It validates every drop of sweat, every pound lifted, and every conditioning session leading up to the game. A victory puts your emotional well-being into an adrenaline laced bliss like no other. A win seems to catapult your program into a whole new energy level, and the smiles on all faces leak well into the next week. A loss on the other hand challenges leadership on both the coaching staff and on the team.
After a loss, many athletes will deal with “armchair quarterbacks” within their social circle. The blame game will get thrown around like the nerf football at the family picnic. Rarely will family members or friends take on a philosophical angle and ask, “what can be learned?”
In reality whether it is a joyous victory or a heart wrenching loss, that is the only question that should be asked, “what can be learned?” Veteran coaches and experienced players understand that a process must occur every time you are blessed to compete.
The process is simple. 1. Watch film and evaluate your play. The best competitors are their own harshest critic. They look closely at each first step, at hand placement, at pursuit angles, and intuitively understand where changes need to occur. 2. Devise a plan to make changes and improve. It could be as simple as five minutes before and after practice to work on first steps out of your stance. A lack of a plan equates to a lack of improvement, and mistakes are likely to reoccur.
Coaches must understand that small changes allow for big improvement. The changes could be personnel or changes in a players position. I have witnessed coaching staff’s change the entire offensive or defensive scheme after week one, and it rarely was beneficial. The biggest improvement in a teams play, always occur after week one. This is no time to reinvent the wheel and make whole scale changes. Coaches must preach the process and players must take on a mature mindset and block the noise coming from the uneducated.
I describe in the book, “A Run to the River,” how a week one loss in 2007 paved the way for Marine City high school’s first state championship. As far as my senior year, the opening loss led to four straight victories before my season ended with a broken ankle. In game three I was fortunate to collect three interceptions in the game, with a learned “thumbs back” technique to prevent deflections.
“Pressure is a privilege,” is a phrase that superbly fits this week. No duress occurs if there is no build up of energy. The fact that you are feeling pressurization indicates that you in fact have invested the needed work. You have high expectations and now the rally point of reality is in your view.
Step back and smell the fresh cut grass or feel the bubbling heat arising from the turf. Understand how unique this opportunity is and how lucky you are to be part of the greatest team sport in America. No other team sport allows for the diversity of a 5’6 bulldog fullback and a 6’4 offensive tackle to compete at the same time on the same team.
Look your fellow teammate or fellow coach in the eye and smile. This is your time and you must attack the game with no regrets. Continue to lead in a positive nature no matter what happens during the game. Every action on that field becomes contagious, so don’t be a negative force. If the outcome of the game does not go your way, transition quickly to, “what can be learned.” Make your week one a great memory. A memory that you and your teammates can talk about for the rest of your life. What a privilege!!!