North Stafford Football
A Commitment To Excellence
Philosophy with Players
Coaching high school football players today is much, much different then it was 30 years ago. Players today have more options, more temptations and are more easily influenced. Many kids in our society live in a world where they perceive “showing up” as achievement. Many of the players in our program at a very young age were taught if they do the “status quo” and just show up they will be rewarded. In many youth organizations today players receive trophies not for achievement but for just being on a team. This undermines the spirit of our philosophy.
Players today also have a hard time with “cause and effect”. Most children today grew up in an age where they have had access to video games and computers. Players today can easily be detached from the “spirit of competition” because of this. 30 years ago when a child played outside and lost they would have to suffer the consequences of the loss (loss of pride, anger, humiliation, embarrassment from friends...). Today children grow up without the idea of “cause and effect”. If a video game is not going as planned the child will just hit the “reset” button and start over. Many of the youth today are totally detached from the true spirit of competition.
In today’s society many school districts have adopted the policy of “no zeroes”. Students today often receive credit for work they did not complete. Students today are not allowed to fail. This fly’s against conventional wisdom but unfortunately is the reality of the world we live in today.
In 2008 we inherited a football program that was in shambles. Lack of leadership, discipline and overall vision led to its decay. For the coaches who were apart of the 2008 season it might have been the most challenging we have faced. Our team that year went 1-9 with 16 freshmen and sophomores starting on our varsity roster. We were physically and emotionally humiliated, embarrassed and at times beaten down. But through all of this our players fought on. They suffered the consequences and pushed on. In a word they “persevered”. As challenging as the 2008 season was for most of us it laid the foundation to where we are today. It has in some regards become our rallying cry and it is the unforgettable reminder of what happens when you are not good enough. That terrible taste from the 2008 season is still a haunting reminder of our journey. As coaches we can not control a player’s height, weight or forty time but we can have very high expectations for our players. We can demand effort, hustle and determination. We can demand the characteristics it takes to win a championship. For many of our players our expectations will exceed their own and often will push them to the brink. This is how champions are made. Characteristics we will be demanded at every level of the North Stafford High School Football Program:
- Great Effort
- Toughness
- Courage
- Competition
- Work Ethic
- Desire
As with the football coaching staff the players will be “All In”. They will buy into what we do and they will rise to our expectations. All arrows in our program will be pointed in the same direction. This will permeate through all three levels. On the football field we will demand:
- Flawless technique
- Perfect execution
- Unselfish attitude
- Accountability to teammates
These characteristics will be the foundation to our programs success. They are qualities and behaviors we can foster. This will be the core of our programs championship philosophy. Players in the North Stafford Football program will have to realize there are consequences to actions, behaviors and decisions. Players will not be rewarded for mediocre work habits and sub par efforts. Players that participate in our program will not just go and turn off the “reset” button when they face difficult times. In 2008 that option was not afforded to us.
Coaches I present this to you because during the course of the year you will be confronted with the challenge of making a player achieve his maximum potential. At times you will ask more out of a player than anyone else has. You may get frustrated and discouraged. We as coaches must not lower our expectations. Sometimes a player’s has to fail or step backwards in order to achieve. We are willing to allow this to happen.
In today’s society it is “brutish” and can be at times harsh. Players within our program will understand the bottom line. Work hard, persevere and achieve. Winning will not come easy and wins do come with a price and with much, much sacrifice. Players willing to work hard and sacrifice will reap the benefits. Players that are short sighted, unmotivated and “excuse makers” will not have a place in our program. The demand will be too great for them.
Because we play a very aggressive and difficult sport our players have to understand a basic concept: “No Excuses” / “Nobody Cares”. The reality is the players and coaches within the North Stafford Football Family are the only people who care and understand. Others unfortunately could care less. That is reality. We will foster a “brotherhood” amongst our players that we hope to pass on to future generations of football players.
I am a firm believer that if we are able instill the aforementioned qualities into our football players we will create a culture of success for our players for football and for years to come.
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