I owe the Tigers! Here’s why.
So, I got an email from a good friend of mine and he asked if all I do is have fun while I am here in Switzerland. Well, it’s a pretty damn obvious answer if you ask me. Yes, all I do is have fun – that’s my job! However – there are many different definitions of fun.
First off – football has been fun to me since I started playing when I was ten years old or so. (Remember many years ago Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live saying “Baseball been berry, berry good to me!? Just insert football for me.) Hell, it’s a tremendous game and it teaches so many great lessons you will use all through life. There isn’t a single day that goes by where something I learned from the game cannot be applied.
Now, I will grant you that it can be a grueling job at times. In the NFL a normal work week during the season will often exceed ninety hours. We use to laugh and say if you weren’t at 40 hours by Wednesday you were cutting corners and cheating the club.
I have had people look at me like I had three heads when I would tell them the length pof the normal season work week. It really is that way – but every day is just a little different than the last one and it keeps things from getting to be a drag. I think they believe we fool around for a few hours a day, show up on Sunday roll out the ball and play. Nah … not so fast Batman!
Anyway, that type of schedule will never happen overseas because the game has to be approached differently. The players work all day – or the younger guys have school – they are not professional athletes! Having a job is one thing but then there are obviously family obligations as well. The game is their hobby (think slow pitch softball in the USA – but with helmets and shoulder pads!)
By the same token I have to take my own coaching with a different focus. Since I basically am on my own – no meetings, film sessions and prep time with other coaches – well, it requires me to be disciplined (yeah, I know being
structured is hard for me as you all know.) But, it is the least I can do for my friends who are doing so much to insure my stay is worthwhile.
I owe the Tigers and I feel I owe the people who have went out of their way to get me back to my second homeland!
So, every day I make sure that I am working on something of value for the Tigers. Honestly, I feel that I owe the Tigers them a great deal. I get to coach (which is fun) and then live in one of the best places in the world (even more fun)!
The NFL, major college – hell all of college football has become pretty much a job for those involved. I’m not sure we haven’t turned HS football into a grinder as well. It truly has gotten out of hand if you ask me.
Teams have dedicated times for meetings, practice and training sessions. There is no way that can happen here in Switzerland (or Europe for that matter) because no one – including the coaches – is getting compensated to play for or train the team.
We have to approach the game and its structure differently in Europe. It’s serious, but the players have to keep it all in perspective in regards to their everyday obligations. Sometimes the realities of life collide with the game of football for the players and coaches.
Pretty much all of the teams practice just twice a week and then play a game on the weekend. Therefore, practices last three hours at times. Well, to make up for the fact that you are only practicing twice they have to be long sessions.
Let’s add this into the mix. What if you have to work overtime, or have a family situation and practice has to be put on the back burner. The team already has a limited roster – now imagine if two guys who play the same position can’t make practice.
It happens – actually I have talked to coaches in Europe who told me that there are times they haven’t been able to line up an offensive line or defensive line because of players having problems getting to practice.
So, what do you do? You adjust and make it work. The coaches and players figure it out and adapt. You still have to coach your guys and prepare them for a game.
You have to find a way to make it work – the game is still going to show up on the weekend! Fortunately, every team pretty much faces the same set of problems. So, everything becomes relative.
I love how these guys just figure out how to make everything work. Guess what … if it is pouring rain or it is snowing – you are still practicing because you only have those two days to get your work done! I am not kidding you.
Again, this is not the NFL – this is a game that these guys just love to play and they built a club around it to support them. Consider this – what if Pete Carrol or Bill Belichick ever had to practice without the left side of his offensive or defensive line at practice because the players who man those positions had to go home to a birthday party or to fix a leaky faucet?? Hmmm, I doubt it.
But, that is part of the reality here.
Another factor is – how do you make it fun? Or better yet how do you make it fun and still field a competitive team? Yes, this can be a problem at times because the players on the team – first they buy all their equipment! Yes, helmets, pads, shoes – everything. Then they have to pay a license fee. So really, they are paying to play the game.
So, as a coach there is delicate line that you straddle. We want to coach them properly and try to be firm, yet you have to realize that in reality the players control the team – and rightly so because they are the ones paying out their own real money.
I mean, I get it. But, after growing up and being part of organized sports in the US as well, it is just something that gets some getting used to. I really do think it has made me become more thoughtful in my approach to the game and the appreciation of the players.
How can you not really admire these guys? The team works and practice hard rain or shine and they enjoy being around the each other as well. They really do. (I’ve watched them drink beer together so I can tell! Hey, I am a professional I know about beer.) So, I feel the least I can do is reciprocate the effort and try to help them in any way that I can.
I owe the Tigers … I truly do.