by John Sala
Head Coach Anderson University (IN)
As I have matured and grown as as coach, my priorities have done so, as well. From the time I started my head coaching journey (age 29) to now (43), the lens that I see the world through has, thankfully, changed considerably. I’d like to think that I’ve grown in this profession enough to see the impact we as coaches can have on young people.
It’s been said that coaches have the opportunity to influence more people in a year, than most other professionals do in a lifetime. To me, that is an awesome responsibility that I do not take lightly. Like I say frequently to my staff, “If all we teach our young people is the correct way to run the inside zone, or play cover 2, we’ve done them a great disservice.”
So, we make the “baseline” of our program CHARACTER
CHARACTER for us means: Being on time (huge one), getting to classes, treating women with respect, and living a life that glorifies Christ and His Kingdom. That’s it. There’s no lengthy set of rules to follow (because I was young once, too. And I would just find something not on the list and do it). Just be a good person, and show Character in all you do.
We break on “Character First” after every weight session, film session, practice, game, etc. We also have it on the bumper band on our helmets so our opponents know what we’re all about.
Simply put, “Character First” is what our staff and team tries to live by every day. I feel that it rings true with the athletes I coach, the coaches that I work alongside, and the communities that I have lived in.
