Inside the Cupboard
The first games of high school pre-season, jamboree, or purple and gold football games are in the books and as you might expect there were what was perceived good news and not so good news.
Cottondale and Sneads participated in separate jamboree type games, while Marianna had a purple and gold game.
The positives were nice, and every coach will tell you that.
One retired coach, Carlan Martin told me many times, he would take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day of the week. He was quick to add, “We will address the ugly in practice though.” And rest assured, I am confident that it was addressed and corrected. We have four high school teams and three middle school teams this season. One team is under new leadership this year and they will have adjustments to make.
The other three teams are under veteran coaches, and they know what is expected of them from the very beginning. It’s hard for coaches and players when there are changes, personalities have to mesh, and players and coaches have to learn to trust each other.
Graceville will be fielding a team this year and is hopeful to complete the season with no injuries and some good news from the gridiron. Nothing makes me happier than to see a team come together at a time when they know they’re facing a long season and Graceville knows that all too well.
Yet, the players chose to give up their free time and practice in sweltering heat. They have to believe there’s hope for the future. Then, I sit back and think, “Wow, why can’t every team do this 24/7?” Why can’t every team realize there is no “I” in team and there’s no glory without work. There’s no reason for it not to happen. If a teammate makes a mistake, fumbles a ball, drops a pass or throws an interception, you can bet he feels as badly as anyone, so he doesn’t need criticism. What he needs is something positive from the guys who are battling on the field with him.
This is what those who watched the recent Dixie Softball World Series saw from those teams.
Every time you take the field, the court or the diamond, there’s a 50/50 chance you might make a mistake. What you AND your team does when that happens separates the men from the boys. That’s what winning teams are made of – true grit, true team bonding, and everyone having each other’s backs. It’s a new season so if you’ve not been a true team player, this is the time to change that.
That is as the Mastercard commercial says, “priceless” and that’s the way it is from Inside the Cupboard.