We are now into the fifth week of High School Football. If I had told you that Greenville would be 2-and-2 after four weeks last year, I am sure you would have laughed, or said, “Yeah, wishful thinking!” But here we are 2-and-2, and a few thought it could happen.
I have seen a marked improvement in Greenville Football, and I really think Coach Channell is on the right track. I think the boys are working hard, and they do have faith in the results and the hard work they are doing.
We know all of our athletes in order to be good must work hard, practice with purpose, and listen to coaches who only want them to get better. It is obvious to me that the boys have bought into the program…….but have they fully bought in?
This is not a criticism; it is a legitimate question. I know that buying into a program and its regimen takes time….some things may seem unimportant and stupid, but everything a coach does has a purpose.
I have been on teams that did some odd things because the coach thought it was important. As it turns out, at some point, that dumb thing he wanted turned up in the game, and I was ready for it! If you wonder why a coach makes you do up-downs till you’re sick, it’s because you know that you can’t make tackles on the ground, but the repetitiveness of doing them is to make it instinctive: GET OFF THE GROUND AS FAST AS YOU CAN! But, you do finally realize that, huh, I don’t even think about it anymore, I just get up as fast as I can and go make the tackle!
It is like a lot of things coaches do to instill discipline and team unity. They may not seem important, but they are all part of a winning program. I have no knowledge of any players on Greenville not doing what they are told. However, sometimes when you have some success, you tend to slack off and believe you don’t have to work or listen like you did before.
This group of seniors seems to be real leaders….but leaders MUST lead! If someone isn’t with the program, it is imperative that they find out why, and lead by example and follow instructions graciously.
Greenville is at the point where they are starting to look like a competitive team. Will they win any more? My bet is yes, I think they will. But, they have to maintain team unity, work harder than others because of their numbers, and do what the coaches want them to do, no matter how dumb it sounds.
Coaches coach, players play, but players need to be positively led and believe what the coach says. I have felt like the last several years, discipline and meaning have been absent here. Coach Channell is a proven winner, so listen to what he says, how he acts, and how you should act, no matter what, when it comes to football. Parents and supporters, let’s make sure our young people learn from their coaches. Taking directions and doing the work, even though it seems strange, will help the boys and girls later in life when they get a real job and a real boss.
Winning consistently takes time, effort, and a willingness to listen to people who have done this before. Greenville is in its infancy of being a good football team… but they can’t let their minor successes go to their head and think they are better than they are. The coaches, parents, and students need to learn how to be winners, too.
So, let coaches coach, support the team, and don’t undermine what coaches want to do. Give them time, something we have not been willing to do here lately. Babies need time to learn to walk….Greenville needs time to learn to win and do it with discipline. It can be done!
That’s the way I see it…….from the sidelines
