ON FUNdaMENTALS

FUNdaMENTALS are the key to winning.
And the number one, most basic FUNdaMENTAL is HARD WORK.

Remember the BFS/Be 11 Steps to Success: You can beat 40% of the competition through plain old fashioned hard work. And that hard work needs to be focused on the FUNdaMENTALS. The team or individual athlete that better executes the FUNdaMENTALS during competition positions themselves with the best chance to be successful.

Continued mastery of the FUNdaMENTALS
Enables your performance to become an
Upward HyperSpiral of Achievement.
by CoachFreeb

To be successful you must be FUNdaMENTALly sound. You must be able to execute the routine play flawlessly, effortlessly, automatically. Only through the mastery of the FUNdaMENTALS will you be able to move to ever higher levels of performance.
Every discipline has its own basic FUNdaMENTALS whether it be sports, educational, business related, or any other routines that are currently demanding our attention. In baseball you must be able to field the ball and make an accurate throw to first base before the runner gets there, or you will never have the opportunity to be at the plate and take a swing. There are proper techniques to fielding and throwing when, if followed, produce desired performance. There are proper techniques for blocking and tackling, shooting and rebounding, running and jumping, driving a car. Everyone can remember the trials and tribulations of learning how to drive that stick shift car or truck. Remember looking at the pedals and thinking, “Three pedals and only two feet?”
The same can be said for touch typing. I can remember thinking that my dad got taken by a salesman because there was no “B” on his keyboard at the office. Remember those days in typing class trying to get that pinky-finger to reach all the way to “Q?” Now, of course, after practicing the FUNdaMENTALS for many years all these behaviors are done easily, gracefully, unconsciously. What we used to have to think about consciously (hitting that Q; letting the clutch out slowly while giving it just the right amount of gas without rolling back into the Cadillac behind us on the hill), we now perform smoothly with little or no conscious thought. Our performance becomes “automatic.”
Let us not forget that math has FUNdaMENTALS (once you get the basics of addition and subtraction down; you move on to fun things like algebra and trig), as does English, science, music, yes, every discipline does. How about family life? Are there basic FUNdaMENTALS of marriage, motherhood, fatherhood? Behavior is rule governed. Rule governed behavior involves discipline and FUNdaMENTAL correctness. The path to greater success that Upward HyperSpiral of Achievement begins with disciplining yourself to master the FUNdaMENTALS.
FUNDAMENTALS

THERE IS NO MAGIC TO SUCCESS OTHER THAN THE MAGIC THAT IS INVOLVED IN MAKING A GREATER INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT TO DO YOUR BEST. THERE IS PLENTY OF HARD WORK. THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO SUCCESS IN FOOTBALL IS EXECUTION. WE MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXECUTE OUR OFFENSE QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY. TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. WE LEARN ON THE PRACTICE FIELD.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT “SUCCESS LIES AT THE INTERSECTION OF OPPORTUNITY AND PREPARATION.” THE SCHEDULE OF THE SEASON OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY. THE PRACTICE FIELD ACTIVITIES ARE THE TIME PERIOD FOR PREPARATION. GAME TIME IS FOR EXECUTION - AND SUCCESS. IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING CORRECTLY, YOU MUST DO IT EVERY DAY. YOU MUST PRACTICE AND PERFECT. IF YOU DO NOT USE YOUR SKILLS, THEY WILL BECOME RUSTY AND EVENTUALLY VANISH. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT, JUST ASK YOUR DAD TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR MATH ASSIGNMENT. IF HE IS LIKE ME, HE PROBABLY DOES NOT REMEMBER MUCH. IT IS THE SAME PROCESS WITH ATHLETIC SKILLS, USE THEM OR LOSE THEM!

THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY ON THE PRACTICE FIELD IS THE TEACHING AND MASTERY OF THE FUNDAMENTALS. COMPETITION ON ANY LEVEL, IN ANY SPORT BEGINS WITH THE TEACHING OF THE FUNDAMENTALS. ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE BEGUN TO MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE SPORT, WILL YOU BEGIN TO PERFORM WITH THE GRACE THAT ACCOMPANIES SUCCESS. PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES PERFORM EFFORTLESSLY. AT LEAST IT SEEMS EFFORTLESS, FLUID, WITHOUT EFFORT, WITH GRACE. THE REASON: THEY HAVE PRACTICED THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THEIR SPORT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS. YOU MUST MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS FIRST. AND YOU MUST PRACTICE THEM DAILY. IGNACE PADERSKY, THE GREAT PIANIST STATED:

IF I DO NOT PRACTICE JUST ONE DAY,
I KNOW IT.
IF I DO NOT PRACTICE FOR TWO DAYS,
THE ORCHESTRA KNOWS IT.
IF I DO NOT PRACTICE FOR THREE DAYS,
THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS IT.

JUST AS WE MUST NOT TIRE IN RUNNING OUR BASE PLAY, WE CANNOT TIRE IN OUR PRACTICE OF THE FUNDAMENTALS.

VERY OFTEN IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND ITS ALTERNATIVE IS NOT VERY MUCH. IT’S A GAME OF INCHES. PAYING CLOSE AND STRICT ATTENTION TO THE FINEST DETAILS IS VERY, IF NOT, OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE. IF IT’S WORTH DOING, IT’S WORTH DOING CORRECTLY. IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE TIME TO TRY AND DO IT RIGHT, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIND THE TIME TO DO IT OVER AGAIN? DON SHULA, THE WININGEST COACH IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, SAID:

UNCORRECTED ERRORS WILL MULTIPLY.

SOMEONE ONCE ASKED ME IF

THERE WASN'T A BENEFIT IN OVERLOOKING ONE SMALL FLAW.

"WHAT IS A SMALL FLAW?," I ASKED.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH, MAKE ALL THE SACRIFICES YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE, HURT ALL THE HURTS YOU HAVE TO HURT TO BE A VARSITY ATHLETE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL MAKE THE EFFORT TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. MAKING THE EFFORT TO DO IT THE CORRECT WAY WILL MOVE YOU AND THE TEAM CLOSER TO CORRECT EXECUTION OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT AND THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE PLAY - AND THE SEASON.

ONLY THROUGH THE MASTERY (AND CONTINUED PRACTICE) OF THE FUNDAMENTALS WILL YOU BE ABLE TO MOVE TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF COMPETITION. SOME PEOPLE SPEND THEIR WHOLE HIGH SCHOOL CAREER NEVER REALIZING THIS SIMPLE FACT. YOUR COACHES’ PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TEACH YOU THE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR POSITION. THEY WILL PRACTICE WITH YOU COUNTLESS HOURS OVER THE YEARS HELPING YOU MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR POSITION.

THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL IN ALL ATHLETICS CONCERNS YOUR STRENGTH, SPEED AND QUICKNESS. DUE TO THE TIME CONSTRAINTS OF THE COMPETITIVE SEASON, THERE IS NOT A GREAT DEAL THAT YOU CAN DO TO GREATLY INCREASE YOUR ABILITIES IN THESE AREAS.

PROGRESS CAN BE MADE, BUT THE GREATEST INCREASES TAKE PLACE DURING THE OFF SEASON WITH CONTINUAL WORK IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, THE GYM AND ON THE TRACK. ALL ATHLETIC MOVEMENT STEMS FROM A FOUNDATION OF STRENGTH, AND THAT FOUNDATION IS LOCATED IN YOUR HIPS AND THIGHS. THE STRONGER, FASTER, QUICKER ATHLETE PERFORMS AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

BEING AN ATHLETE IS NOT A SOMETIMES THING. IT IS NOT JUST AN “IN SEASON” ACTIVITY. BEING AN ATHLETE IS AN ALL THE TIME THING - ALL DAY, ALL WEEK, ALL MONTH, ALL YEAR. REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN OUR YEAR-ROUND CONDITIONING PROGRAM WILL INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH, SPEED AND QUICKNESS ENABLING YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR ATHLETIC POTENTIAL FASTER THAN YOU NORMALLY WOULD. DOING ALL YOU CAN IN THIS AREA WILL GUARANTEE BETTER PERFORMANCES EACH SEASON YOU COMPETE.

THROUGH FUNDAMENTAL MASTERY COMES CONSISTENCY IN EXECUTION. PERFECT EXECUTION IS REALLY NOT POSSIBLE, BUT MAKING THE EFFORT FOR PERFECT EXECUTION IS!
IF EVERY PLAY WERE PERFECTLY EXECUTED, THERE WOULD BE A TOUCHDOWN SCORED EVERY DOWN. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THE GLORY OF THE GAME, HOWEVER, IS THAT YOU NEVER KNOW JUST EXACTLY WHEN THE SCORE WILL COME. IT COULD BE ON ANY DOWN, ANYWHERE ON THE FIELD. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MAKING THE EFFORT FOR PERFECT EXECUTION, DOING THE BEST JOB WE ARE CAPABLE OF DOING ON EACH PLAY, IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. FAMED UCLA BASKETBALL COACH , JOHN WOODEN, SAID SUCCESS IS THE PEACE OF MIND WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SELF-SATISFACTION IN KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING. IF YOU CAN LEAVE THE FIELD, THE GAME FIELD AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE PRACTICE FIELD, EACH DAY, AND IN YOUR OWN HEART KNOW THAT YOU DID YOUR BEST THAT DAY, THEN YOU ARE SUCCEEDING. YOU ARE NOT REALLY A SUCCESS, BECAUSE IT NEVER IS REALLY OVER. IF YOU GO AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN YOU GET THERE, YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO SEE FARTHER. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, THERE IS COLLEGE, AFTER COLLEGE COMES THE PROS. YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A PROCESS OF BECOMING. WHAT YOU BECOME IS DIRECTLY DEPENDENT UPON YOUR ATTITUDE. IN THE END, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GET THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT YOU BECOME ALONG THE WAY.
(From the Estacada Ranger Football Playbook by CoachFreeb)