On Friday night, the current head coach at my old high school where I was head coach for 22 years is going to honor me and 3 of our former players. I am always looking for little things that coaches can use to promote their program and Coach Gibson has found one! I want to share it with you.
At halftime of the game (not before the game— he wants lots of people to be there and actually seethe ceremony!) they are going to unveil the new “Ring of Honor” in the football stadium that the coach is establishing. I’m not quite sure how he’s doing it but he told me that the names of our 4 charter members will be prominently displayed in the stadium. It sounds a little like what the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins have done on the façade around their stadiums.
Each of us will also be presented with a plaque to commemorate our induction. The players and our families are invited and will sit in a special section during the game. At halftime, we will be ushered to the field for the presentation.
Coach told me that this is just the first class of inductees. He plans to do this every year.
What a great idea to honor the players and coaches who contributed so much to the school’s football program over the years. It is just another wonderful tradition to incorporate as you attempt to build pride in your program. I have invited all of my former players to attend. It is going to be an exciting evening for everyone involved!
The coolest part, for me though, is the coach has invited me to give the “pre-game pep talk” to the players before they go out on the field! I am pumped!!! If you have a retired coach who successfully led your program in the past, invite him back to speak to your team. It builds good will and can be a bridge to the past for your players.
