They place self-imposed sanctions on their ability to grow & evolve because they are blinded by their pride, ego, and disillusioned perception of their value.
“There isn’t a more dangerous coach than the ‘old school’ coach.
The old school coach is blinded by his own ego & lack of self awareness.
Putting a self imposed sanction on your ability to grow & evolve, while preaching at kids to do just that is a recipe for failure.”
-Ray Zingler on X
“Oh, he’s old school now..”
That’s not the badge of honor you think it is.
Now I’m all about an old fashioned, roll your sleeves up, and work your ass off blue collar work ethic, but I can tell you the last damn thing I want to be is “old school”.
Old school implies that you’ve done things the same (outdated) way forever and you justify them because “you’ve always done it this way.” There isn’t a bigger recipe for disaster than refusing to evolve.
Just look at the likes of two of the greatest football coaches of our generation, Nick Saban & Bill Belichick.
“Google” Coaches who failed to evolve and check out who the first image is.
One evolved with the times and ended leaving on his own terms and will be remembered as the greatest college football coach of our time, while the other refused to evolve and got not only pushed out, but left out of the next hiring cycle.
This isn’t to discredit any of Belichicks incredible accomplishments, but because of his refusal to evolve, he will always be remembered as the sideshow to Tom Brady’s incredible Super Bowl run.
Boasting and taking pride in being old school is boasting and taking pride in a self-imposed sanction on your ability to grow and evolve.
And guess what Old School Coach Joe, that “if you ain’t growing, you’re dying” quote you overuse all the time at practice or in the weight room, applies to you as well.
What it comes down to though, is pride, ego, and a disillusioned perception of how smart and valuable these old heads think they are.
What worked in 1998 doesn’t work anymore.
Hell, what worked in 2008 doesn’t work anymore.
Not only do you have to grow to meet the evolving landscape and demands of modern sport, but you also, more importantly, have to grow and evolve to meet the demands of the current generation athlete.
These aren’t kids who walked uphill both ways in snowstorms (you didn’t either, Jim). They are kids growing up in a completely different world and they need to be treated as such.
You may keep your job because your superiors tolerate old school, but..
Failure to evolve ensures you’ll never make a significant, lasting, quality impact on them.
You’re either growing or dying, right coach?
