CARDINAL PRIDE

July 23, 2008

This will be my 8^th season as a Cardinal coach, and my first without a son in the program. I have a ginormous amount of great memories from each year. But one thing that has always stood out is Cardinal “PRIDE”.  I can still remember the first time I heard it. Just thinking about it now makes the hair on the back of my neck standup.

When you stop and think about it, Cardinal “PRIDE” can mean many different things. I guess it just depends on your own personal perspective and whose shoes you happen to be wearin’.

If I were a player, I guess it would be a reminder that I need to participate and play with passion.  Being passionate about your endeavors – no matter what you choose to do – will help lead you to success.  As a player, it would also remind me that respect is something that should always be given to others but earned for yourself.  Coaches, parents, teammates, opponents, your community and even the game itself need your respect. As you go about earning it, make the choices that will show the world the caliber of your character. Integrity – doing what you say you are going to do no matter what – would also be an important part of a player’s view of “PRIDE”.  Discipline – having the “want to” to carry things through, staying with it, no matter how difficult – is a close cousin to integrity. And effort, the catalyst for all things you want to achieve. You have to work hard for what you want - mentally, physically and emotionally.

As a coach, “PRIDE” reminds me that my paternal abilities and talents need to be utilized beyond my own children and that my words and deeds are now being broadcast over a wider area.  The impression I cast on each individual may last a lifetime. As a coach, I too am bound by the universal rules of respect, with the keen understanding that wearing a whistle doesn’t grant me a pass on earning my share. Integrity is crucial in coaching. Your charges are well aware of what is fair and what is not, and there will be a day of reckoning when they tally up the score.  Discipline is an important component in building a team. Everyone on the team – players, coaches and parents – must understand that no one is bigger or more important than the whole. As a coach, the level of your effort and commitment to the team is proportional to the effort and commitment you get back from your players.  If you lead the way in word and in action – they will follow.

As a parent - one who has seen my son on the sidelines, pulled out of the game and wondered “why” - the first letter in “PRIDE” stands for patience.  Coaches need parents to be patient so that the lessons they are teaching can take root and grow. No football player ever went from the AAYFL to the NFL in one, two or even four seasons.  It is a process.  A very long process, not to be measured in yards but in inches.  There will be great strides forward followed by several disheartening steps backwards.  Patience is needed in great doses. As a parent of a football player, I too need to adhere to the rules of respect. Respect the coaches and the other players - do not dissect and dismantle them in front of the kids.  Respect the game – be enthusiastic about the event on Saturday but never make it about yourself at the expense of others.  While no one can dispute the importance of integrity as a parent, I think in this case, the I in PRIDE carries more meaning in terms of investment. Not just in terms of the registration fee, but true investment on a personal level to learn how to help your player grow and improve. Nothing improves this process and shortens the curve like a parent’s time.  There will be disappointment and despair when it comes to this undertaking. It will be difficult.  The discipline a parent can help to instill at this time is truly indispensable.  This goes hand in hand with having the patience – and “want to” – to stick to it, no matter what.  As a parent, I recognize the effort it takes to raise kids – that goes without saying. So I guess to me, E would have to be enthusiasm.  Be passionate about your player’s participation and support him and the team with all your energy - but leave it at that.  Our days on the gridiron are long gone. It is his turn now and he needs to be able to fail and succeed on his own terms.

Here we are – ready to go, ready or not.

Please come to practice, watch, listen and learn.  Develop your own memories.

Hopefully, “PRIDE” will be one of them.

Best regards,

Coach Hahn