I think Tony Dungy has proven that, as a coach, you can be demanding without being demeaning. How about you? Do you feel that you have to verbally “tear players down” in order to “build them up"? While it is important to be yourself, you must control your temper when frustrating things happen. As a young coach, I chose a coaching ministry verse to help me keep things in perspective regarding the way I spoke to my players. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). God challenged me with this verse. I realized that if I wanted to see His righteousness developed in the lives of those athletes He had entrusted to my care, I couldn’t be spewing my wrath over them while coaching. Regardless of your personality type, you must manifest a Spirit-controlled temperament. Tony Dungy has been a great role model in this way. I would encourage you to read his book, Quiet Strength. It is a worthwhile read for any coach in any sport.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"Quiet Strength" Quietly Retires
It was no surprise when Tony Dungy officially announced his retirement recently from coaching the Indianapolis Colts. He has been contemplating it ever since the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007. Dungy was not only the first Afro-American coach to win the Super Bowl, he may have been the first to break the stereotypical mold of what a NFL coach is like. Dungy was not the intense, in-your-face, foul-mouthed, fire-breathing, intimidating, type of coach that most people think you have to be in order to succeed in the NFL. He is a man of faith who seldom raised his voice above a normal speaking tone. He once said to his players, “I don’t yell a lot. In fact, yelling will be rare. When I get mad, I usually talk at the same volume I’m talking now, and when I get really mad . . . I whisper. So if my voice at this level won’t get your attention, and you believe you need someone to yell at you to correct you or motivate you, then we’ll probably need to find you another team to play for so that you can play your best”. (Quiet Strength, p. 105)
I think Tony Dungy has proven that, as a coach, you can be demanding without being demeaning. How about you? Do you feel that you have to verbally “tear players down” in order to “build them up"? While it is important to be yourself, you must control your temper when frustrating things happen. As a young coach, I chose a coaching ministry verse to help me keep things in perspective regarding the way I spoke to my players. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). God challenged me with this verse. I realized that if I wanted to see His righteousness developed in the lives of those athletes He had entrusted to my care, I couldn’t be spewing my wrath over them while coaching. Regardless of your personality type, you must manifest a Spirit-controlled temperament. Tony Dungy has been a great role model in this way. I would encourage you to read his book, Quiet Strength. It is a worthwhile read for any coach in any sport.
I think Tony Dungy has proven that, as a coach, you can be demanding without being demeaning. How about you? Do you feel that you have to verbally “tear players down” in order to “build them up"? While it is important to be yourself, you must control your temper when frustrating things happen. As a young coach, I chose a coaching ministry verse to help me keep things in perspective regarding the way I spoke to my players. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). God challenged me with this verse. I realized that if I wanted to see His righteousness developed in the lives of those athletes He had entrusted to my care, I couldn’t be spewing my wrath over them while coaching. Regardless of your personality type, you must manifest a Spirit-controlled temperament. Tony Dungy has been a great role model in this way. I would encourage you to read his book, Quiet Strength. It is a worthwhile read for any coach in any sport.
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