Gricey's Word

Football presents the classic opportunity in life for an individual, a team, and a club to express the ethos of what they are. It’s never what you want or have that determines an outcome you see. It’s what you ‘are’ that is paramount.

The reason this is so is simple….in life you don’t get what you want…you get what you are. Great coaches are not as much concerned with the outcome in any given season, as they are for the individual fibre and thought patterns of players and the team as a collective. Winning’s not everything, it’s the only thing. But there is a more important issue at stake.

The league table, winning, and losing are all imposters and cause people to lose sight of the key factor. The key factor is in the NOW. In this very moment. In actual fact…it’s all you have. The past and the future are both illusions. When you understand this you can really make progress with your self image and who you ‘are’.

Top line footballers you see folks are effected by little. Their resolve, thought patterns, and equilibrium remain still like ice no matter what is going on externally. They choose to be this way. They simply identify who they want to be…and literally become that person. It doesn’t matter whether they are 2 nil down, 2 nil up, have an injury niggle, have some life challenges…..it doesn’t matter – they are still going to come at you with a fire and ferocity and in a football sense ‘shred you’.

As players and coaches we need to understand the opportunity before us. That in life we become what we think about…our football game being a big part of this ideal. You must understand that being a great footballer is 90% off the field. That’s where the work is done. Your football game is a part of your week if you like where evidence can be shown of ‘who you are’. The emergence of your chosen character is really all that’s ever going on in your life. If you don’t think about much then not much will be achieved. If you have fears and anxieties with things then they will become your reality. And if your self-image is complete with powerful, courageous, uncompromising, supernatural and outrageous thoughts and ideals then this WILL be the person you become.

Great coaches are the coaches who understand this principle. So what do they do? They give the players the thoughts to think. Their teachings to do with mental discipline leave no room for leakage. They are not naieve towards life and all it’s conforming influences and how mediocrity will pitch a tent in a players mind if allowed.

In this club we are especially aware of this principle. I personally make it a point of issue to remind the players of who we are as a collective and their role in that as individuals. The greater whole you see is more important than one individual. This is a humbling issue and injects culture, allowing the player to feel that they are part of something unique and special. "Not just another football club’ if you like.

I take this opportunity to thank all the coaches, managers, club officials, parents, and players for each making their contribution to our club. May this ‘moment’…and this year be one to remember.

Gricey

Watch This Space..

Each month from now on we will read & listen to the words of wisdom from GRICEY...

Yes.. Dave will be back on line with his monthly column..

I bet you can't wait.

15th February 2010

13 May 2009

 First Ingredient Of A Champion

It was Muhammed Ali that said…”The first ingredient of a champion is not the ability to give a knock-out punch…but the ability to take one.”
There’s another quote by that famous author anonymous…”The world isn’t interested in the storms you encountered…but did you bring in the ship?”
The message is simple and clear. There isn’t any plain sailing and cushy ride with any worthwhile objective. You’ve got to be prepared to take the hits. To fight the battles. To tough out the heat in the kitchen when the blowtorch is put on you.
In football these teachings are paramount. Football leagues for instance are extremely difficult to win. You need to maintain absolute confidence despite setbacks. Top level sport is not a place for the faint hearted. You have to keep working and charging despite repulses and the odd defeat. At the end of a given season the team that comes out on top is usually the team that has held its nerve the most.
In reality, it’s not that easy to do. But anything worthwhile isn’t easy. There are times when all you can do is lick your wounds, get up, dust yourself off and get ready for the next battle. You may lose the odd battle you see…if you win the war.
A football league is a bit like a bank account. With a bank account you have deposits and withdrawals. The deposits for a football team occur everytime a team member initiates positive energy or encouragement to themselves or other team players. Everytime they go the extra mile at training. Everytime they respond positively to losses, injuries, and challenges. Everytime they play 90 minutes regardless of the score.
The point being folks, with a bank account, if you make enough deposits…you can afford to have the odd withdrawal. You have to accept that sometimes, s**t happens. The key, is to get over it, gather yourself and attack again. Attack harder than before. With more ferocity and courage than ever before. Any foe, even football leagues, eventually give in to such enthusiasm.

Gricey

Not many people know this. But part of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has two sides to it.
One part is like a piece of glass. Flat as a pancake. It’s a safe place. But if you look down into the depths of the lagoon you will see that the sea life is non existent…and the coral is colourless.
On the other side of the reef there is huge surf and jaggered rocks. There is great danger here. There are predators. But if you look down into the depths of the water you will see the sea life is abundant and the coral is outrageously colourful. This, you see, is life yearning for itself. It confirms that we weren’t designed for comfort and ease. It confirms that the rewards are in direct harmony to the risk. That the great beauty and colour in life is often directly correlated to the danger.
Life isn’t for the sitting back and waiting. Do you know that most people travel through life hoping to make it safely to death! What is the sense in this. You’ve got to eat life.
So which side of the reef are you on. Do you play the safe comfort zone game? Or do you respond to life’s opportunities and challenges with vigour and courage?
Which way do you play your football? Which side of the reef is that on? Great objectives require great commitments. Dangerous goals require dangerous strategies.
Your football club you see….has camped on the wild side of the reef for a while now. Why wouldn’t we? That’s where the colour is. That’s where the riches are. That’s where the characters live. That’s where the culture is fertilised with ferocity, tenacity, and uniqueness.
What’s it to be with you? With your personality? With your attitude? Are you going to venture to the wild side of the reef? Or you going to paddle on the safe side?
Might you rise to the great heights of your greatness? Or might you squander your opportunities in the land of mediocrity?

Gricey

20th March 2009

The following is a true story. The two young lads, Matthew and Nicholas, were 8 years old and played in the same club football team. They were good players and both made the state rep team…the Minnesota Titans.
It was cold and wet day. They were on their way home from training and there was a car accident. Nicholas survived OK but Matthew was severely injured. He lost a lot of blood. He required a blood transfusion to live and had a very rare blood type. The ironic thing about the story is that the only person they could find with the same blood type…was his best mate Nicholas.
So they are in this hospital room. There are the two boys, one on his death bed, the two sets of parents, the doctor, and the minister. So Nicholas’s father turns to Nicholas and says “Nicky will you give your blood please to Matty…it’ll save his life.” Young Nicholas sat there, arms folded, with this big serious stern look on his face and he replied, “What do think Daddy?” to which his father replied, “Well son, I think you should do it, it’ll save his life” Nicky thought about this for a moment then turned back to his father and said “Alright Daddy if you think I should do it then I’ll do it.
So they took the blood and immediately administered to Matthew. Within minutes you could literally see the colour returning to the young lads face. Everyone was joyous and happy, when suddenly there was this wimpering sound from the corner of the room. They all turned to see young Nicholas sobbing and huddled in the corner. His mother walked up to him and said “Nicky what’s the matter darling aren’t you happy you’ve saved Matty’s life.” The young lad broke his mother’s heart and when he replied “Yes Mommy I’m happy for Matty but can someone please tell me when I’ll start to die.”
You see, the duffer, he thought he had to give all of his blood to his friend. No one explained it to him properly. He thought that for Matthew to live…HE WOULD GO. From the mouths of babes.
So, what do you think of that courage? Do you know of courage like this? What about you? What about your life? What would each of us sacrifice to achieve an objective?
What about your football club? What does it mean to you? What about your friends? What about your team-mates? What do they mean to you? I ask you…what would you sacrifice for your buddy? Would you bleed for your brother?

Gricey.