*I'm going to begin re-posting my blogs as forums for preservation*
Is it better to be loved or feared?
This question is one I have heard throughout my time on this planet. As a team captain, it is one that I must answer correctly to assume my role as a leader. Every leader has his own approach to this question, and the answer is a delicate one. Lean too much towards loved, and you'll command very little respect. Lean too much towards feared, and you could potentially lose motivation and enthusiasm from the group you are in charge of.
And when you are the head coach of a group of thirty teenagers who are not always the most disciplined, the balance is at a very fragile state.
So for my twentieth blog, I'm going to use my own head coach as an example of someone who embodies this combination of both loved and feared. This blog isn't necessarily a dedication to him, but I think he is a good example of the point I am trying to make here. That is, the relationship between a coach and a player should be one of mutual respect, but the coach should be someone the player is very close with as well.
Where to start about coach Metzler? The feared side, I suppose. He definitely has that part down. He's like a drill sergeant in many ways. One of his many quotes is "Either you can't do it, or you won't do it. I can't tolerate the won't." Even those who don't like him respect him. A loud speaker, I've always found instructions that he gives to be clear, concise, and easy to comprehend. While he doesn't relate to teenagers (he doesn't try to), his speech is typically relatable. To reference the Gump, he always has a way of explainin' things so we can understand them.
Some of the many Metzlerisms, just to give you an idea:
To the linebackers not filling windows hard enough: "I'm tired of you guys giving a courtesy flush! DON'T LET THE S*** GO THROUGH!!!"
"Today we're out here prancing around like a bunch of gazelles. GAZELLES. We need to be lions, not gazelles."
"Now this is the table of truth. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me. I can take it. I use to repossess mobile homes. I can take it."
"This field is the hot LZ. Y'know what happens if you walk on the hot LZ? You get shot." (Hot LZ, for those of you not familiar, is a military term referring to a combat zone where a helicopter is landing and the soldiers are deploying from the helicopter).
It's not just his speech that commands respect though. His presence does. I love coach Metzler, but he can be quite an imposing person. All that big? No, but he's a walking muscle of hulk-like strength. Does he verbally threaten anybody? No, but he doesn't need to considering he probably has a bowl of nails for breakfast every morning. Tough enough that he still was full-intensity at practice one day after he severely pulled his hamstring. The top half of his leg was completely purple.
But through it all, I love coach Metz. I can talk to him about anything. I look to him in times of trouble, both on and off the field. He wants a relationship with his players. He wants our opinions, our thoughts, and he wants to be a person we can turn to on and off the field, during and after High School.
And truly, this is one of the traits of a great coach. There are other things that make a great coach too, for sure. But when it comes to being both loved and feared, all a coach really needs to do is simple, in my opinion. Be a leader. Try to create bonds between you and your players. And be yourself, don't change to try to please or relate to anybody.
I have been blessed to have a coach that truly cares my senior season. He studies more film than anyone I've ever met. He listens to player suggestions and makes the best game plan he possibly can. But above all, he has been somebody that strives to make me a better man. Whether in my education, my hobbies, my family, or as a citizen. I would not be the man I am today without Coach Metzler.
P.S. - Thanks as always for reading my blog. Comment or suggest a topic if you would like.
Update on our season - We lost our three toughest games of the season all in a row to go to 2-3. We were upset at Waverly 13-16, a game in which eight of our Varsity starters got injured. With an active roster of 24, and only four normal Varsity starters active, we got demolished by the best team we play all year, Zane Trace. Our next toughest game, Paint Valley, we lost by a tally of 42-7. It was 6-0 at the end of quarter one, but four first half turnovers made the game swing away from our favor. Eliminate those turnovers, we could have won the game. My highlights:
