Coaching Football's "Little Things"

I was fortunate to have had a lot of excellent coaches work with me and for me during my tenure as a head coach. One in particular still influences my life today. “Coach Sam” was called to be a pastor so he left coaching to devote himself to Jesus and his ministry. I visit his church from time to time to soak up some of that wisdom that God’s Holy Spirit has given him. If you don’t have someone in your life like Coach Sam…. wellllllllllllllll, Pastor Sam, you need to get one. If you DO have a “pastor Sam” in your life, lean on him for godly wisdom.

One of the most important things I gleaned from Sam during the time he coached with me was our title for this week: “Pay Attention to DETAILS.” In other words, NEVER assume anything. Never assume that the directions that you give your assistant coaches will be carried out. Follow up! Never assume that your instructions to your players are understood. Quiz them. Ask questions. Get them to demonstrate what they have learned. Pay Attention to Details.

Interestingly, the Bible says, “The hand of the diligent makes rich.” This word diligent actually means: paying careful attention to details!!! Be diligent.

A good practice that I learned from reading a devotion from the Bob Gass ministry folks is, “When you give someone instructions, check to be sure they’ve made a note of them. If not, you should be concerned. The unlearned and uncommitted tend to trust their memory with everything, but the shortest pencil is still better than the longest memory. When someone doesn’t consider what you’re saying important enough to write down, they are sending you a signal. Even if their intentions are good, in their busyness or overconfidence your instructions can easily be forgotten. Those who are follow-through people always ask additional questions about the assignment and instructions you give them.”

So there you have a lesson learned from the perspective of the leader and… if you are an assistant right now, be that guy who always asks additional (good!) questions to get clarification and a time frame for the assignment you’ve been given.

Taking care of the little things is one of my Keys of Success. It may take a little more time and a lot more diligence to make sure you’ve paid attention to the details but… it’s worth it in the end!