In the first game of a new season a football offensive lineman fails to execute a certain block. The play is a disaster; the back is tackled for a loss and fumbles the ball. The lineman slouches toward his coach on the sideline and murmurs an apology. “I made a mistake,” he says. “I’m sorry.” His coach looks him in the eye and says nothing.
The next day at practice, the coach ignores the player. The player is distraught and approaches the coach. “I said I made a mistake. Why don’t you accept that it was an accident and move on?”
The coach says, “You state ‘it was a mistake; it was an accident.’ But it was no mistake and it was no accident. You failed to execute the proper block because you made a series of choices, beginning in the first practice of the year. You chose to not pay attention during numerous drills. You chose not to pay attention during scrimmages. You chose not to pay attention during film sessions and during pre-game walk-through. You chose not to review your blocking assignments at night, on your own time.”
The coach takes a deep breath and continues. “When you look at it from my perspective, your missed block was no mistake, it was a natural consequence of your actions leading up to that moment. When you are able to see this from my perspective, then you’ll be on your to becoming a great player, and a great man.”
From September 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com
The next day at practice, the coach ignores the player. The player is distraught and approaches the coach. “I said I made a mistake. Why don’t you accept that it was an accident and move on?”
The coach says, “You state ‘it was a mistake; it was an accident.’ But it was no mistake and it was no accident. You failed to execute the proper block because you made a series of choices, beginning in the first practice of the year. You chose to not pay attention during numerous drills. You chose not to pay attention during scrimmages. You chose not to pay attention during film sessions and during pre-game walk-through. You chose not to review your blocking assignments at night, on your own time.”
The coach takes a deep breath and continues. “When you look at it from my perspective, your missed block was no mistake, it was a natural consequence of your actions leading up to that moment. When you are able to see this from my perspective, then you’ll be on your to becoming a great player, and a great man.”
From September 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com
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