Lessons Learned Playing Football for Coach Davis

A Business Motivation Presentation

Commentary by Kimbel Stokes with excerpts from

The Pep Talk by Kevin Elko, PhD & Robert Shook

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Lessons Learned Playing Football for Coach Davis

A Business Motivation Presentation

Dedicated to Head Coach Algie Davis, Assistant Coach Jerry Coleman & The 1968 Southeast Lauderdale High School Football Team,

Sam Dale Conference Champions

With apologies to Mrs. Diane Shirley, High School English Teacher, who said she expected more out of me.

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1. The Pep Talk By Dr. Kevin Elko & Robert Shook. Dr. Elko is a sports

psychologist who has consulted and presented to:

a. Dallas Cowboys

b. New Orleans Saints

c. Buffalo Bills

d. Pittsburgh Steelers

e. Cleveland Browns

f. Pittsburgh Penguins

g. Miami Dolphins

h. Philadelphia Eagles

i. Numerous Corporations & other Organizations

2. At some point in your life you have probably listened to a pep talk whether

you participated in sports or not. Perhaps from your parents, teachers, or

your employer. Hopefully, today’s lesson will provide some ideas to make

you a better manager, and improve your personal life.

This “The Pep Talk” is about a fictional football team that was failing

miserably, and had not won a game in 2 years. A stranger came into town

and explained basic principles that motivated the team to pull off the

biggest upset in history. It changed their lives forever. It may be a corny

story to some, but the same principals were used by Coach Algie Davis for a

small rural community high school in Mississippi the season of 1968. The

paper and news media picked the “Tigers” to finish next to last in their

conference. It was said, “The team is too slow, they do not have any size,

and they do not have enough players to scrimmage.”

I learned the following lessons playing for Coach Algie Davis during this

season.

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Preparation is an ongoing process.

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When the going gets tough, the

tough get going and the weak drop out!

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3. The players reported on August 9th for the initial team meeting and

issuance of equipment. Practice began August 12th. Players were

introduced to the new Head Coach, Algie Davis, and his assistant, newly

hired coach, Jerry Coleman, and to a renovated locker room. Coach Davis

spent his summer off-time upgrading the locker room to make it more

efficient, and easier to maintain. It was equipped with a new washing

machine, dryer, and individually named lockers. Your practice pants, a

jersey, and a rolled towel that contained your socks and jock strap were in

your specific locker. These were turned in after practice each day, and the

next day fresh, clean personal items were in your locker. Coach Davis said

he would no longer tolerate the uncleanliness of socks and underwear.

Having clean garments would allow the cuts, scrapes, blisters and bruises to

heal faster, and prepare us to play. Do you look at your crews to see their

needs? Do they have the right tools to perform their job? Do they have the

information to perform their tasks?

4. We did not see a football the first week of practice. We practiced ‘two a

day’s’ in the hot, humid weather of Mississippi. We were conditioning. I

vividly remember Coach Davis walking between the lines of players during

calisthenics, wind sprints and grass drills, reciting “We may be the smallest,

we may be the slowest, but we will be prepared. You will not fall down in

the fourth quarter, you will not have leg cramps like the other teams, and

you will be ready. The fourth quarter belongs to us. You will not embarrass

this school, you will not embarrass yourselves, and most importantly, you

will not embarrass me by not being prepared and in shape”. Assistant

Coach, Jerry Coleman, was always close at hand offering encouragement

when the players thought they could not continue. It takes extra time and

effort from the top down to be a winner. Have you prepared the people

under your direction? Do you give words of encouragement to your team?

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Communication is the key to

success.

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Proper attitude is a necessity for

teamwork.

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5. We started every practice and every game with a team huddle. Coach Davis

told us what we would do that day and why, what we needed to improve,

and what he expected from each and every one of us. We stood and recited

the “Lord’s Prayer” as a team. I still get a rush of adrenalin when I recite the

“Lord’s Prayer”.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done in earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those that trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

Forever.

Amen.

We should always be ready to perform physically, mentally and spiritually.

6. Coach Davis would allow you to play regardless of your size or speed. You

would not play for Coach Davis with a bad attitude. Several of the tough,

“bad-boy” crowd tried out for the team, but did not last long. Size and

speed were not what he measured; the size of your heart, work ethic and

attitude were the attributes he measured for his players.

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Being punctual and dependable is

a mark of professionalism.

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Appearance is an indicator of

performance.

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7. Regardless of the circumstance, Coach Davis did not tolerate tardiness or

missed practices. Missed conditioning was made up by game day or you did

not play. If you were too injured to practice, you were too injured to play

on Friday night. The success of the team depended on you to be there on

time, and ready to perform. Keep your customers informed. Keep projects

on schedule. Be there when you say you are.

8. Coach Davis convinced the boosters to buy new game day uniforms; a deep

royal blue with red trim, new pants, jerseys, socks, and helmets. To be

champions, no matter the final score, we were to dress like a champion,

perform like a champion, and act like a champion on and off the field.

Members of his football team were expected to set an example wherever

we were. Woe to the football player who was reported for misconduct.

Unfortunately, I experienced his wrath during the off season. Take pride in

who you are and what you are doing. Do you and your crews dress and act

in a professional manner? Do you maintain the assets of the company to

operate and be presented as professionally as possible?

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Proper asset allocation reaps huge

rewards.

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Assets require constant

maintenance.

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9. Having the right people in the right place is vital to the success of any

organization. Coach Davis served as the assistant coach the previous year

and knew the players’ strengths and weaknesses. The offense was designed

around the most productive unit that could be on the field. Matching each

player to the best advantage of the opponents’ players allowed the team to

have the advantage with the strongest assets. The largest and strongest

player on the team, who was a lineman prior to that season, was moved to

the backfield as the key running back, and blocking back. He received an

athletic scholarship (lineman) to a major college. One of the smallest

players, quick and gritty, moved to the line. This player received all

conference honors and was named conference defensive player of the

year. Plays were run from 3 basic sets; the “Power I”, the “T” and the

“Flanker Set”. Alternating from right or left of the line maximizing

efficiency, productivity, and return on assets. Prior to starting a project, you

should be certain a plan of execution is formulated, the right people are in

place, the best equipment for the task is available, materials and supplies

are on hand, subcontractors are scheduled, and financing is available.

Physical issues and circumstances beyond your control are understandable

however, as under Coach Davis emphasized, mental mistakes are not

tolerated for any length of time.

10. Coach Davis would check all players for their physical and mental

condition after every game and practice. We were checked for injuries that

needed immediate attention, a doctor visit, or the whirl pool for sprains.

The players mental attitude was observed for “let downs” from bad plays or

for coming short on the scoreboard. Assets are the life blood of your

organization; hard assets and most importantly people. Make sure they are

well taken care of. Follow-up on people responsible for maintenance. Does

someone need a pat on the back? Personal issues get in the way of top

performance; you really do not know what is going on in someone’s life.

Get personally involved with your people and hard assets.

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Stay focused. Don’t focus on the

scoreboard; the final score will take care of itself. In business, don’t be preoccupied with how much money will be made. Concentrate on your

task at hand – the money will come.

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Lost time is expensive and is never

recouped.

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11. Coach Davis instilled in us, “All we need to do is gain 4 yards on every play.

You do that without any mistakes or penalties, and we win the game. We

win this game, then the next, and prove the newspaper wrong by winning

the championship.” It all started with 4 yards on every play.

Know what is expected of you. What should your production be every day?

Do you have the proper equipment and personnel? What do you need to

improve the safety of the project, the quality of the job, and job

production?

12. Get a good start on your task. Early in the season we struggled with game

jitters; jumping off sides and general poor execution that put us behind the

4 yards per play plan. Coach Davis instituted a pregame routine. We filed

out after the pregame prayer in single file; no one speaking, slapping or

‘whooping it up’ like the other teams. We went thru the paces in complete

silence, other than the captains counting off the calisthenics. After

stretching and warm-ups, we went into full speed contact scrimmage. We

were ready to play when the official blew the whistle for kickoff. After the

season, conversation with players from opposing teams who were favored

over us, said this was the most intimidating thing they had seen. “If they hit

and play like that against each other, what will they do to us?” Be ready to

go to work; time is money. Slow starts are expensive and

counterproductive. Lost time is never recovered.

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Challenges bring out the best in

people.

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Don’t defeat yourself before you

get started by allowing negative thoughts about past events burden

your limitations.

“The past is a bucket of ashes.” Carl Sandburg

Rid yourself of self-doubt. Don’t allow yourself to be defeated by

preconceptions. 14

13. Take on challenges. Coach Davis did not schedule non-conference games

with smaller, weaker teams. We always played larger schools that

resembled college teams to us. His thought process was to beat an

underdog, you had not accomplished anything. Did we always win? Of

course not. There was great satisfaction hearing those larger, more talent

laden teams in the dressing room after the game congratulating us on a

well-played game. They said we were one of the best teams they played.

Opposing coaches would say they had more talent to put points on the

scoreboard, but it was a good thing points were not scored for heart and

determination because they would have lost. In business, you should seek

out the challenges and go where competition is fearful. The rewards can be

great.

14. Fortunately Coach Davis would not let us believe any of the garbage

written in the newspaper. He used it as motivation to drive us to become

better. Week after week we looked forward to the Saturday paper to see

what was written. Regardless of how well we played, we could not earn the

respect of the sports editor.How many of you have started the day or

project with, “this won’t work”; “this is not the machine I wanted”; “the

weather looks bad”; we don’t have enough people”; and so on? We messed

up yesterday, and today will not be any better. Guess what? It probably

won’t. You have to rid the self-doubt. Do not allow yourself to be defeated

by preconceptions. We all make mistakes; estimating, performing work,

accounting, and management. The key is to learn from mistakes.

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Seize the moment.

In a pivotal moment you can choose to say,

“This is my day, and I will make the most of it.”

Responsibility = Respond with Ability

Breakdown silos in the

organization.

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15. Remember things do not always run smoothly due to variables in the game,

and in business. We must be prepared for the unexpected. Each of us must

decide how we are going to respond to a given situation. If you breakdown

the word responsibility, it means “respond with ability”. Remember the day

belongs to you, and what you do with it is your choice. Will you let

someone else make your decisions? Will circumstances control the

situation, or will you?

16. Coach Davis broke down the “Silos”. We would not split backs and ends to

one end of the field, and lineman the other. We played the games as a

team; we would practice as a team. Notwithstanding the fact we really did

not have enough players to split for practice squads!

Individual violations of team policies and rules resulted in the entire team

being punished. Once a highly coveted pair of game socks was missing, and

the entire team went through practice with grass drills and wind sprints

only. Afterwards we learned the socks had been misplaced by one of the

equipment managers. Never the less, no one ever broke a team rule after

that!

Most of the players on the team would have struggled to make the roster

against the larger, more talented teams. Together, as a team, the Tigers

became a formidable force on the playing field.

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Nobody succeeds without the help

of others. It takes a team effort. Trust others to do their jobs. The combined effort of everyone

executing his or her job produces superior results.

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Leadership requires simplicity.

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17. The play book had 9 plays. Coach Davis said we would learn them to

perfection; they were the only plays we needed. He said there was nothing

more demoralizing to your opponent than for them to know what you were

going to do, and knowing there was not anything they could do to stop you.

You should stay focused on your job performance every day. By doing this

you will do your best. You have a daily assignment, and you do it to the best

of your ability.

18. Communicating of instructions and assignments should always be broken

down into the most basic and simple terms. For example, blocking

assignments for linemen were to block the man head-up, the man in the

gap, or the linebacker, depending on the flow of the play. Defensive

coverage was for the backs to take the first man out eligible for a pass; the

linebackers covered the second man out. With this basic, simple logic and

understanding, the team was able to execute against any given opposing

defensive strategy. Or defend against any multiple offensives without major

adjustments to the players positions. In a complicated situation or task, the

assignment must be explained in such a manner to allow a better

understanding, and easier execution to eliminate possible errors.

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Every individual and every crew

must be held accountable; everyone must pull together; to be successful

a total team effort is required.

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Adversity is part of life. Don’t let

setbacks defeat you. Adversity makes you stronger.

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19. “Every individual and every crew must be held accountable; everyone must

pull together; to be successful a total team effort is required.”

Each member contributes to the whole in every organization.

Every successful outcome is the result of all.

Each crew has its own area of responsibility, and the success of the

company depends on the combined performance of all crews.

It affects the entire company if one crew is not performing.

20. When I was young, and first promoted to superintendent over construction

crews, I complained about all of the problems and issues to be handled. My

boss, Mr. John, said, “Now Sonny Boy, if we didn’t have problems, we

wouldn’t need you, would we?” Problems and adversity are facts of life. We

should look at them as opportunities. The people that handle these issues

with good results are the most successful. These teams have the highest

winning percentages.

Player injuries put a significant strain on the team. Players played with

injuries and Coach Davis adjusted the game plan to compensate.

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Be persistent!

Never!Never!Give In.

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Expect the competition to be

strong. Don’t underestimate an opponent.

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21. The great British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was asked to give a

commencement speech. As he walked to the podium and faced the

audience, he said, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in – never,

never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in

except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never

yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” And he turned

and walked away. Obviously Coach Davis read this speech; he was also our

history teacher in addition to his coaching duties, and this was his mantra.

There is no such thing as a bad job. Someone will do it and be successful.

There may be issues with the prices for the work, but the work must be

done. Defaulting on a project is not an option; your reputation is at stake.

Financial results may not be what you desire, but one thing is certain, you

cannot buy a good reputation.

22. All of the teams we played were strong. Coach Davis did not schedule

weak opponents.

What is the competition? Is it your opponent across the line of scrimmage?

Is it competitors in the market place? Does the market not allow you to

raise your prices to obtain work? Is it your customers demanding more for

less? Is it the equipment you operate every day to accomplish the work

functioning properly?

I learned that competition is any obstruction, internal or external, that tries

to hinder or prevent you from completing your assignments as efficiently

and economically as possible.

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Believe in others and others will

believe in you.

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Be a team player.

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Every individual and every crew must be held accountable; everyone must pull together; to be successful a total team effort is required.

23. The season ended with the last game of the year against the media labeled

and highly favored “Point a Minute Knights”. Coach Davis called us to the

end zone the last practice session. He called everyone by name and told

what they had contributed to the team during the year, how they were the

best at their positions, how the opposing players could not possibly match

up with us. His final practice words, “Let’s go in Geeks, they can’t touch us;

let’s take the day off.” Coach Davis referred to us as “Geeks”. I once asked

him exactly what a “Geek” was; he said it was a Roman Warrior. Certainly

different from today’s reference!

Let everyone know they can trust you to do your job. Listen to those under

your leadership. Listening is a form of showing respect. At some point,

everyone has a good idea to improve the process. Make sure you do not

miss the opportunity to improve.

24. Always remember we are stronger as a whole than as individuals.

Although we do learn something new every day, it is unlikely that an issue

you have has not been experienced by someone else in this room. Share

your knowledge and experience. Ask questions; seek help. Be a teacher.

One of the biggest responsibilities you have is to teach, mentor, and train.

Coach Davis emphasized we had to watch out for each other; someone is

going to get blocked, someone will slip down, or someone will be beaten on

a play. We all learned to “take up the slack” and cover for each other as the

need presents itself.

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Believe and trust the process. Rid

yourself of self-doubts.

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Recognition and appreciation is a

strong motivator.

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25. We operated under the philosophy of Bobby Knight, the famed basketball

coach, long before he made his statement, “Basketball is a game of

discipline; knowing what to do; do it right; and do it that way every time.”

Does that not apply to you? You have processes; pricing the work,

accomplishing the work, monitoring the operations, accountability, getting

paid, and reporting to the home office. Do not doubt your importance to

the success of the organization. Your employer, your teammates and your

customers believe in you and most importantly, they depend on you.

26. Always, always show your appreciation.

Everyone looked forward to watching the post-game films with Coach

Davis. He would call you by your affectionately assigned nickname, and

enthusiastically say, “That’s what I’m talking about, that’s the way we play

football! Let’s rewind that and play it again.” Do you show appreciation to

the people you are responsible for? When was the last time you thanked a

vendor for superior service? Have you called your customer to thank them

for the opportunity to be of service, and to ask them of any issues to be

resolved? Coach Davis implemented a reward system that recognized every

player’s contribution to the team. The student trainers, equipment

managers and non-letter players received windbreaker style jackets. 1st

year lettermen received letter sweaters. 2nd year lettermen received cloth

sleeved jackets. 3rd year lettermen received leather sleeved jackets, and 4th

year lettermen received a special letter jacket with white leather sleeves.

These were cherished by all who earned the right to wear them. These

cherished garments were to be worn proudly by those who earned them;

not to be shared with girlfriends, or left unattended.

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Visualize your success. This will

give you a goal that you will eventually attain.

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Believe you will succeed. Have

faith in your future.

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Tigers Upset Knights With 4th Quarter Surge 19-7

The Meridian Star

27. Coach Davis believed in us when we did not believe in ourselves. He had a

vision that began long before the first practice. The vision was put in place

months in advance. One play at a time with a goal of 4 yards every play. A

team that was too small, too slow, and with too few players to practice.

28. Coach Davis made us believe in ourselves. He expected no less than your

absolute best on every wind sprint, grass drill, every play in practice, and in

every game.

Know that you are the best at what you do. As a team, set a high standard

for the industry that your peers envy. You are, and you will continue to be

successful because you believe in being “Only the Best”.

The late Martin Luther King, Jr. said in one of his most famous speeches, “If

you are a street cleaner, you should sweep the streets in such a way that

the angels in heaven will stop, look down, and say, there goes a great street

cleaner”.

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Thank you Coach!

30Mighty Stokealoke #30

29. I learned these lessons from that season and they enabled me to become a

Champion, and to be successful in other areas of life. First and foremost I

was one of Coach Davis’ Tigers. You will not have the privilege to be one of

the Tigers but it is my sincere hope that you will take all, or part of this

presentation to become a Champion in whatever endeavor you may

choose.

Thank you!