Sportsmanship on the Gridiron

Today's blog post was written by Tom Malin.  Mr. Malin is the Athletic Director at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT.  East Catholic is a new Play Like a Champion partner, and the reigning Connecticut Girls High School Soccer Champions.  Throughout the fall season, the East Catholic Eagles have been embracing all aspects of the Play Like a Champion philosophy, and last weekend's football game is just one more example of this successful approach.

It was a cold, frigid Friday night with temperatures hovering in the 20s and a wind chill factor that put the temperatures in the single digits. The East Catholic Eagles (8-3) were playing the Bulkeley Bulldogs (2-9) under the lights at Dillon Stadium in Hartford.

The game was competitive for the first half, with the Eagles leading by the score of 14-8 but the strength and numbers of the East Catholic team enabled the Eagles to pull away with a convincing win on the last game for both teams. 

The great experience for players for both teams was the fact that the game was played with mutual respect and good sportsmanship! The highlight of the evening was after the game was completed, the teams met with their coaches, and then players and coaches from both teams met at the center of the field and heard some inspirational words from the East Catholic coach. Once the inspirational talk ended, players from both teams high fived and chest bumped each other. Each team left the field feeling a little better about themselves and the other team. 

The Athletic Director from Bulkeley High School stated, “the end of the season was difficult with our low numbers, but we finished with players who were the heart of our team and it appears that your players and coaches have the same heart and passion for the game.”  

For the East Catholic Athletic Director, “it was a great example of sportsmanship and respect that the players and coaches had for each other. To be able to have both teams meet in the center of the field and exchange friendship was something to see and witness. It truly showed that sports can be fun and a great avenue to learn values and life lessons.”

The Matheny Manifesto

Today's blog was written by Ryan Watt. Ryan is a senior at Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching, an undergraduate course taught by Play Like a Champion Founder Professor Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan. 

Recently in my Foundations of Coaching class here at the University of Notre Dame, I was presented with a letter that former major league catcher and current St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny once wrote to the parents of his son's little league baseball team.  It has since come to be known as the Matheny Manifesto. This letter struck me as one of the finest explanations of both a coaching philosophy and the role parents should play youth sports.

In terms of philosophy, Matheny outlines 3 main goals for his baseball team's season:

1. To teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way
2. To be a positive impact on them as young men
3. To do all of this with class

You would be hard-pressed to find more valuable goals than these three for a coach, especially at the youth level.  It was quite refreshing to see that no mention of winning or team performance was mentioned within these goals.  In recent years, youth sports have all but become consumed with a 'winning is everything' attitude even at the lowest levels of competition.  It was nice to see that Matheny was instead focusing on growth and development, which is the true value of youth sports.  Coming from a man that has played, coached, and succeeded at the highest levels of his sports this was an especially powerful message.

Matheny really encapsulates his message when he says, "We may not win every game, but we will be the classiest coaches, players, and parents in every game we play."  This is the same message by which Matheny was coached during his youth baseball career. Matheny drives home the value of this approach when he runs down the success of his own childhood team.  Nearly the entire team went on to play collegiate baseball and Matheny along with 3 others reached the professional level.  He (wisely) does not promise this same future success for his own players, but he stresses that classy play does lay the foundation for success. 

In terms of the role of parents, Matheny calls on them to act as a "silent, constant, source of support."  This is an incredibly powerful message in this age of "helicopter parenting" and epidemic levels of overzealous sports parents.  I think we've all experienced at some point the parent coaching from the stands. This constantly shouting of tips and directions or demands for their kids to perform does no one any good.  Matheny encourages this silence because he doesn't feel that any additional pressure should be put on these young athletes.  They will face enough pressure from him and the coaching staff getting them to play the game the right way with class, and respect.  He points out that the athletes also frequently put too much pressure on themselves and each other to perform already.  Matheny wants his players to have an opportunity to develop a love for the game rather than be overwhelmed and pushed away by excessive pressure.

What Matheny does want parents involved in is the continued improvement of his players when they are away from practice and games.  He stresses the importance of repetition in skills such as pitching, hitting, and fielding.  It is important for parents to realize that coaches only have a limited time where they can work with each player.  It's up to parents to facilitate their further growth by taking some time to play with their kids.  It's through this off-field time that parents can shine rather than trying to take over the time that the coaches do have with the players.

Overall, this letter presents an excellent jumping off point for coaches looking to both establish a positive development based philosophy and address the growing issue of parental interference in youth sports.  I think all youth coaches would do well to consider the message Matheny has brought to the table, I know I will as I continue my work in athletics as a coach.

The Inspirational Lauren Hill

Today's blog was written by Kevin Byrne.  Kevin is a senior at the University of Notre Dame majoring in marketing in the Mendoza College of Business.  Kevin is a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching Course taught by Play Like a Champion founder Professor Clark Power and program director Kristin Sheehan.  Kevin is also a middle distance specialist on the Notre Dame Track and Field Team.

Lauren Hill never imagined her college basketball career would have this big of an impact.

On her 18th birthday, Lauren committed to Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati to continue her basketball career.  She received terrible news soon thereafter when she learned that she had a brain disease called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG) and was given less than two years to live.  Recently, an MRI showed that the tumor on her brain had progressed and that she most likely would not make it until the end of the year. 

Her love of the game and her desire and courage to play one last game has inspired countless people to send their support and praise for Hill’s cause.  On November 2nd, Hill and her Mount St. Joseph teammates opened up their season against Hiram College at Xavier’s Cintas Center.  The 10,250 tickets for the game sold out within 30 minutes.  The game received an NCAA exemption to be moved up to November 2nd from November 15th to accommodate Hill.  Hill’s positive outlook about her terminal diagnosis has already earned her the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award, which is normally given out to a player or coach at the Final Four in April. 

Celebrities and athletes like Mia Hamm, Richard Sherman, Andy Dalton, and Randy Foye have all shown their support for Lauren Hill.  As an athlete that has lived her life as a champion, she has inspired many people.  Former WNBA player Sheryl Swoops said that Hill is “...the true definition of a fighter, warrior, and competitor.”  A foundation has been set up called Layup4Lauren  where people can accept the challenge by performing a layup with their non-dominant hand which is how Hill feels while playing basketball with DIPG and then donating to brain cancer research.

Lauren Hill is an inspiration to countless people and her determination to play the game she loves  is a reminder to all of us to never give up.