Sunday, November 22, 2009

Georgia Bulldogs: Football Logic 101



Football Logic 101, as taught to me by the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs: I have learned this year that it really does not matter how recruiting classes are rated, nor how many 5-Star and 4-Star recruits there are on a single team. If basic fundamentals of the game aren't ingrained in talented individuals, the talent becomes unproductive. I've been reminded that football is still a TEAM game. A successful team must have very good individual talent, but these individuals have to function within the framework of the team. When they do, it becomes a win-win situation. When they do not, the team experiences limited success. A team with no discipline has no direction. The physical aspect of the game can only lead to success when the mental aspect of the game is understood and carried out. I've also learned that a fifth-year senior with basically no playing experience is actually a freshman who possesses a little better understanding of a system. Much like a medical student who understands the procedure that has been taught to him but hasn't actually held that scalpel in his hand. This has also led me to believe that skills unused can lead to skills that erode. When you fail to polish brass it tarnishes. I've been shown that the prolonged success of a program can lead to stagnation, and that once a comfort level has been achieved complacency easily sets in. When things become taken for granted, the framework of disaster is laid. I've been reminded that loyalty is a fantastic quality. The world we live in is drastically short of that commodity. But, I've seen that loyalty to any individual at the expense of an entire body or group is neither fair nor wise to either party involved. On a football team this goes for players as well as coaches. And I've learned that it is painful to watch a team that one has a passion for perform at such a mediocre level week after week after week. I realize with certainty that good teams get better as the season progresses, and that the weak teams show no improvement and even digress in some scenarios. Having said all of this, I am reminded that the worst thing a team can do in the midst of dreadful circumstances is to do nothing at all.

No comments: