We began the year talking about Ted Lasso and the way he approaches life, coaching and the impact this can have on your classroom. Ted is positive. Ted knows what to say (even though sometimes it makes you scratch your head). Ted is optimistic. Ted is steadfast. Ted is a great leader.
This past weekend, the Jacks football team (I am sorry...I know...another post about sports...about the Jacks...) capped off an amazing season by winning the FCS National Championship. I can't write this and not mention that it was against NDSU, who had never lost in Frisco. This win was something die-hard Jacks fans had been waiting A LONG time for.
In talking about the success of the Jacks this season, you have to mention and mention often, the name John Stiegelmeier (Coach Stig), who is the head coach of the Jacks. Stig has been the head coach of the Jacks for 26 years. Prior to that, he was a grad assistant and an assistant coach. He has devoted much of his life to SDSU and to shaping young men not only into great football players but great humans.
There are many characteristics in how Ted Lasso leads that remind me of Coach Stig. He is big on relationship building. He understands that there is no one person bigger than the team. He makes tough calls. His passion for SDSU and football is contagious. He believes in the young men he has on the field.
As the days between the win on Sunday get larger and larger, the number of articles I see on the game, the players, and Coach Stig have decreased. But I came across a great tweet about the steadfastness of Coach Stig. This success did not come overnight. It did not come in a year. The Jacks have had really bad seasons and really great seasons where they were so close to this goal! It took a lot of time and a lot of effort to mark this goal off.
https://twitter.com/johntmeyer/status/1613191631343345669?s=20&t=-YiVqx9fG8yvNgK2cS7sRQ
Nothing great happens overnight. You have to put in work to make great things happen. Instead of hoping to see a big change in a small window of time, we often need to look at the larger picture. What success can be found in one month instead of one week? What about one semester? One year?
Keep working hard. Keep setting goals. Keep believing in yourself and your students.
And as always...GO BIG! GO BLUE! GO JACKS!
