Coaching Football's "Little Things"

I love it when guys write me to share their success stories!
A coaching friend in Wisconsin wrote in to tell me his team’s story of how, as an “Underdog”, he “broke the rules” and pulled off a huge upset early in his career at the school. As a matter of fact, this particular game was the catalyst that resulted in unbelievable success at his school since that big win several years ago. He wrote that their record since that upset is 42-11 with numerous play-off appearances and championships. Here’s Clay’s story:

“The year before I took over, they had finished 2-7 and lost to this one school 54-0. When I took over we started 2-1, but we weren’t anywhere near where I wanted us to be. I could tell that the kids felt we had NO chance vs. this next opponent.

I was very upset and acted angry the first 2 days of practice but nothing changed… until I did. On Wednesday, I brought them out and we did a couple of full contact one on one drills— did soome 7 on 7 with the linemen and the backs hit the sled. I brought them inside and we watched a couple of scenes from Brave heart and went home.

Thursday, we were real quick and did some fun competitions— the kids were smiling and that was better than the fear they had shown earlier in the week.

As a staff we decided to call the game “backwards”— we reversed our script. We decided to throw on almost every 1st down and 2nd and medium… while running on long yardage situations. (We broke the school passing record that night!) We ended up winning in 4 overtimes 42-35. That win right there spring-boarded the kids into believing and since that game we have gone 42-11.”

He stated in a later email that the coach of the team that they upset that night still jokes with him that “we put you on the map!”

“Underdogs”… consider “breaking the rules” and pull the upset! It can turn your whole program around.