Sometimes coaches need to discipline

Super Bowl Champion and legendary Head Coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”

While winning can provide happiness, sometimes our biggest lessons can come from our losses. With Rockdale having a great tradition in football, any loss is tough. The players are upset, coaches aren’t happy and the fan base is disappointed.

While taking pictures at Friday’s game, I was surprised to see some of the starters standing on the sideline during the first half. As the game began, I asked trainer Eugene Beaver if anybody had gotten hurt. He then pointed to some of the starters right behind me on the sidelines.

A brief conversation with Coach Campsey revealed why some of the guys sat out. I understood and respected his decision. As a coach, you have to have control and discipline on your team. Sometimes players have to be reminded that personal egos never come before the team. Campsey demonstrated that teaching a life lesson outweighed participation in a game.

When it comes to discipline, it goes beyond football. I can remember watching an episode of the “Steve Harvey Show” where he discussed some of the consequences of being an undisciplined youth. “If young boys aren’t taught discipline, it will lead them down a path of danger,” Harvey said. “Undisciplined boys will one day turn into undisciplined men. An undisciplined man winds up either dead or in jail.”

When you’re a 16, 17, or 18-year-old kid, it’s a weird time in your life. You feel like you have everything figured out and adults don’t know what they’re talking about. I know this because I felt the same way.

With that being said, these guys are young and they will make mistakes. You can’t expect them to have the same level of maturity as an adult just yet. What you can do is teach them the right way to conduct themselves and hope it sticks with them as they become older.

It warms my heart to see the coaches pulling these guys to the side and encouraging them during the games.

As I have become older, I’ve realized the importance of what good role models provide. Too many times, I’ve seen guys with tremendous talent fall by the wayside because they weren’t taught discipline. They never wanted to listen to anyone and it came back to haunt them. Having a person they can trust and confide in can be the difference between a life of prosperity and a life on the streets.

As the season continues, I can tell the guys are showing growth and camaraderie within the team. While I could see the anger and disappointment, I respect that the guys didn’t blame each other. Each one took accountability for his own actions and knew he had to make improvements.

I did like to see that the guys were upset with the loss. Having that type of emotion shows me that the game means a lot to them. You can show class after a loss but you should never accept a loss for what it is.

You show me a person that isn’t upset after a loss and I wouldn’t want them on my team. It’s supposed to hurt your heart when you lose. However, the guys have to decide whether they will overcome this loss or let this define them for the remainder of the season.

Coach Campsey and the coaching staff can give pep talks until they’re blue in the face but the players must pick themselves up and play better.

Even though the scoreboard may not have shown it, the Tigers showed great heart in the game. They could’ve given up after being down 21-0 in the first half but they kept fighting.

As district play begins on Friday, I believe the Tigers are still in a great position.

After having a brief conversation with radio personality AJ Whiteside after the game, he said he still sees Rockdale as the best team in the division despite their two losses. I agree.

In a short season, this team has overcome a major injury, a last-minute loss and now a blowout loss. It’s time for the guys to show their mental toughness, come together as a team and get back in the win column against McGregor.