As Coach Carpenter, one of my main responsibilities is “coaching up” the freshman players.
The first day we were on the field with them, Coach Webb huddled up the skill players and asked, “Who here is a quarterback?” No one raised their hand.
He kind of snickered to himself and said, “All right, well, who here would call themselves a quarterback.” Finally two guys raised their hands.
Ian and Josh.
In eighth grade the year before, Josh was the starting quarterback and Ian was the backup.
Coach Winfree and I went through fundamentals with them — quick catch and throw, three step drops, basic follow throughs on release and how to grip the ball — basic things just to get those kids warmed up.
After so much fundamental work, we went to work with the wide receiver groups. We had them throw slants, hitches and seams — simple routes that will be incorporated in their growth.
Holy cow were we impressed with them. They were young with a lot of talent, but Coach Winfree called them “coachable.” I thought that was the perfect way to describe them.
The act of being coachable is very important. If you aren’t coachable we can’t help you. Coachability is the willingness to be corrected and to act on that correction. It’s humility. It’s being able to realize that you need the guidance of others to be better.
In a way, I have had to be coachable the past two months as well — primarily because of how raw of a coach I am. I’ve sat to the side watching these coaches coach up these players, so I can be a better coach . . . so I can be prepared. I saw myself in Ian and Josh when they ran up to Coach Winfree and me. They were wide eyed and ready for an opportunity, much like I was when I had my first interview in April with Coach Webb.
This past week, I was finally given my first shot.
Coach Webb has me with the freshmen skill kids on defense when they are with us and Coach Rietveld. I led drills that I could not have told you what they were for a few months ago. I coached them up on technique. I coached them up on proper zone defense. I never came into this wanting to coach defensive backs. That’s a position I could tell a quarterback how to read but not exactly how to coach, but I humbled myself.
If I walked over into that first DB huddle with a bad attitude, it wouldn’t have ended well. Instead, I humbled myself enough to go over there and realize it would make me a much better coach, and I could make these players better on the field. That’s my job, right?
It’s funny because I actually really enjoy coaching the DB’s now, too. I have massive respect for Coach Rietveld, and it was an opportunity to learn from a very successful coach. It just goes to show that the things we think aren’t good for us may actually be.
I tell my quarterbacks that their main job is “to lead the team, make the plays and do what’s best.”
I guess I had to take my own advice. And it was worth it.
– Coach Carpenter