RUI







In the summertime our players were at school 5 days a week at 6 AM for a 90 minute session of running and lifting. Trust me it was rigorous. The reason we worked out together at that hour is that many of them had summer jobs they needed to be at by 8:30 or 9. I think that fits the qualities Zig was speaking about.







Now is that going to assure they're going to be highly successful in the Biz world or become Captains of Industry. Hardly----- but it does give them a big dose of working hard at something to achieve a tangible goal-------working with others toward a common goal-------and a basic understanding of what your responsibilities toward the group are. These aren't things I find they learn in the classroom in HS.







George I'm sure you have a ton of in depth knowledge about HS Football. Tell me have you been to a game in the last 10 years ? Better------when was the last time you watched a HS team practice ?







Me I coached for 33 years-----all types of environments-------I figure that's around 1500 kids. Can honestly say that there were 8-10 of them that were truly bad eggs. The daily grind of a season from practices and games and the offseason program in football weeds out alot of that type of kid. I'm sure other sports do too but I haven't coached in those. Character flaws do get revealed during athletic competition of that I have no doubt------I've seen it too many too many times for it to be a coincidence. Breakdowns in discipline and selfishness come to mind immediately---------that's why you coach them-------to cure them of those flaws.







I know football lends itself to kids with an edge to them. It's just the nature of it. In many cases it's the only discipline they get because structure in their home life is lacking. I was lucky that I coached with 3 guys who didn't tolerate bad actors-----no guy was above the group and all were treated the same. You can't do it any other way.







Willis I don't think young people get a real taste for life until they pass 21 and begin to enter the workforce and go about the day to day business of making a living and dealing with it's realities. But I do think you build a foundation by being a member of a team and interacting with your teammates every day on the practice field and in games and learning some hard lessons that life eventually gives you. It gives you a better idea of how to work through adversity and overcome obstacles-----of that I also have no doubt.