On Tuesday night at 6:30, I attended Greenville Football coach Steve Channell’s meeting with parents and players in the school cafeteria. This was my first meeting with him, and I got the chance to chat with him for a few minutes before the meeting. He makes a good first impression. He was pleasant, had a good, firm, but not hard, handshake, and he has a vision that he is willing to tell people about.
The first thing I noticed was the cafeteria was full, standing room only, of parents and players (see coach, I didn’t forget!) This was a better turnout than he, or I, expected. He was very happy about that! This was the first good sign of Greenville committing to becoming a winning program.
The second thing, and I thought this was important, the meeting was supposed to start at 6:30….It started at 6:30! Time is important to the coach; he does not waste it. He began speaking to the parents, and as I watched him speak, I kept an eye on the parents’ reactions.
Greenville fans and parents can be hard on coaches, but he got their attention immediately. He told every parent there that they were in this with him. He wants parents involved with their sons, little things like making sure they get to practice on time. He singled out a couple of parents and asked them if their son would be there at 9:00 to start practice, and they said yes.
His message is that we are all in this together, and if we are, we can do this. He gave everyone his personal e-mail address and encouraged all to communicate with him. As I watched the parents, most of them were totally enthralled by what he was saying. Only a few seemed unmoved, but most gave him their full attention. He made some points that stuck with them.
He then let the junior high parents and players leave to go to another room and talk and meet with their coaches. The meeting with the Varsity players lasted maybe 12 minutes, and it was over. No Rah Rah, no let’s go get em, just what he expected to do, and what he expected and needed from everyone in the room.
He stressed that and communication as being important to winning. He will be a disciplinarian, but it will not be harsh. One thing I liked was when he said if someone is doing something wrong, he will fix the problem first and there will be no set discipline, each case will be handled differently, because of the circumstances. It is obvious he means what he says.
My impression is that Greenville has a leader who, if we all pitch in, that will make Greenville Football successful. They will run an offense that fits them, the winged “T”, and play hard-nosed defense. He noted that when the season starts with Eaton at home, he expects to win. He expects to win every game. He stated if you don’t expect to win, then why are you there?
There will be discipline, something I think Greenville has been lacking. He will be a stickler for detail. The little things that make a good team great are devotion to the little things, doing the smallest things right. I liked that! Why? Because it’s true! Do the little things right, follow the basics, and you have a much better chance of success. He ended by asking everyone in the room, “Why not us?” Why should we not be competitive and win? Exactly, Why NOT us??
Coach Channell seems to be what we need. I hope that he is given the chance to succeed. I hope that the parents who were there tonight understand how important they are to the success. We are all in this together, and if we all row the boat in the same direction, moving towards success with conviction, confidence, and doing the right things, then we will be successful…..I know it! Given the proper tools, support, and commitment, what he said will come true… ”WE CAN DO THIS!”
That’s the way I see it……from the sidelines.
