The Good Vibes #2 - Coaching, Football, and the mix for success
As a lifelong Washington Football Team fan, I have suffered. Greatly. (Thanks, Mom!)
And that’s why this season has been so joyous. Seeing our fans fill up our stadium for the first time in a decade is amazing. We have talent, we have direction, we have coordination. We have hope.
As someone who has watched so many teams and pieces come and go over the years, I am struck by how amazing it is when everything works together as it should—Owner, General Manager, Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and finally, Quarterback.
Until recently, our owner was a liability and, frankly, the worst. Our GMs, coaches, coordinators, and QBs rotated faster than a carousel. And only now are we seeing all of the pieces come together...finally.
As Washington Football fans, we know what it’s like when one or all of these pieces are missing. We’ve had great QBs with the wrong OC, ownership pulling in a different direction than the head coach, and so on. It’s hard to find all the right pieces—and for them to be sustainable.
As we’ve seen in football, this perfect mix only comes together every so often. We see it in the Kansas City Chiefs' current run, and it’s what made the Patriots' sustained dominance for two decades so incredible. It’s special, and it requires balance and constant evaluation at all levels. But when everything is in sync, it’s unstoppable. Humans are a lot like these football organizations we love. We are all unstoppable, but a variety of inside and outside influences get in the way.
I often ask my clients to think of themselves as their favorite football team. Imagine your Owner as your support system, the Head Coach as your sense of direction, the Offensive Coordinator as your willpower, and your QB as your execution.
“I have the will, but I’m not sure where to go” – Awesome, we can work with that!
“I know where to go, but I really don’t have the support to get me there” – The first step is identifying the problem!
“I know where to go, and I have support, but I just can’t seem to will myself to get there” – Man, we’ve all been there!
We’ve seen what a football team can become when all parts are running smoothly, and most of us have experienced times in our lives when we’ve felt similar. Work is good, home life is happy, direction is clear—those are joyous but fleeting moments. However, when things go wrong, finger-pointing starts, self-doubt creeps in, and progress can be halted. The coach blames the GM, the GM blames the QB, and Ownership blames everyone.
So, here’s my thought experiment for you this week: with the football organization analogy in mind, break down the different roles and responsibilities - Owner/Support, Head Coach/Direction, OC/Willpower, Quarterback/Execution.
Now, who on your team needs a pep talk? Who is doing great? And who needs to be fired?
Hail to the Football Team and sending good vibes your way!
Coach Josh