What makes a great coach?

Friday morning Mr. Tim Loonan called me. I missed his call so I stopped in to see him. 

He appeared pleasantly surprised as he informed me that Waseca’s Youth Football Association would be holding an event on Monday he thought I might like to attend. 

He was right, and I’m glad I attended. 

Before we get past Friday, though, I must comment on the conversation I had with Tim. As I was leaving, I mentioned that nearly every piece we write at the paper is a story or event suggested by a reader. Judging from his reaction, he appeared confused and maybe like he was being a burden. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It makes me feel like we're doing our job at the paper when we write about people, places, or events which people in Waseca ask us to. 

Monday night wasn’t different. 

Many great stories were shared. Stories I wouldn’t have been privy to if Tim hadn’t thought to give me a call. The night was a lot of fun. 

I talk sometimes about what makes a coach great. Generally, it’s what they get out of the high school students they are coaching. Every coach is dealt a similar hand when it comes to the talent and dedication of their players. When a coach builds a winning program, it’s the result of long-standing, consistent team building that leads and inspires players to consistently apply their skills and abilities as their coach has instructed. To do that, I like to say, a coach has to create a machine, or a system which can achieve this. 

I often reference Jeff Reese when talking about this. Jeff, a hall of fame baseball coach at NRHEG, ran his baseball practices to the second with a stopwatch. Every player was taught to hit the same, field the same, and pitch the same. Team members were expected to work hard: Nothing less was tolerated. With Jeff’s coaching method, NRHEG had 20-win baseball teams every season and were contenders every year. He finished his head-coaching career as one of the winningest baseball coaches in Minnesota state history. 

Jeff coached groups that were more athletic than others, but as Brad Wendland claims, the secret to success is hard work, determination, the ability to face adversity…and coaches who know how to get the most out of their players while also teaching them the fundamentals. These axioms apply to the entire coaching tree all the way down to the third-graders, where it starts. 

It made me glad to see the involvement and dedication Brad and his coaching tree show to Waseca football. Because of people like Brad, Ed Hoehn, Bob Jeske, and all of the other coaches, Waseca produces not only great football players, but quality young men and women who succeed beyond high school athletics. 

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – unknown

“To be prepared is half the victory.” – Miguel Cervantes