Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else

Chapter 12. The Benefits of a Coach

So Martin hobbled out of Coach's office, alone with his thoughts and his injured ankle, and then made his way across the football field toward the housing complex and his room. As he reached the edge of the fields he turned back and looked at Coach Ken's window and saw the telescope facing the sky. He looked up and saw a clear sky and a full moon. It was a mild summer night and a cool breeze made it feel cooler than it was.

He thought about what Coach said about being uncomfortable and realized that there were many times in his football career when he was content and comfortable, but during those times a coach, a teacher, a friend of the family, his mother, or even a fan would push him to be better. He thought back to his sophomore year in college when the head coach and the running back coach would not stop yelling at him during training camp. He could do nothing right. Even when he made a great run they said he got tackled too easily. When he missed a block during pass protection they flat-out chided him in front of the entire team. Nothing was ever good enough. He told Shawna that he was going to quit, that he couldn't take it any more. But he stayed with it and once training camp was over his coaches acted like different people. They were encouraging and supportive and stopped yelling at him. He found out that they had planned it from the start. ...