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Post by nltdiego on Oct 1, 2015 20:29:19 GMT -6
Was watching the Notre Dame show on showtime. They bring in a CEO and he talks about how the Vikings burnt their ships before battle. This becomes the motto for them that week "Buen the boat"
Curious if anybody has any stories like this they share that are motivational.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 1, 2015 22:43:26 GMT -6
I like the idea behind using that as a motto, but I've heard it way too much from all sorts of people.
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Post by Defcord on Oct 2, 2015 6:02:37 GMT -6
I heard this with Cortez when he invaded the Aztecs. Great message.
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 2, 2015 6:24:16 GMT -6
How do you apply this message (we have burned the ships, so we better win the battle. Nowhere left to go) to football?
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Post by theyoungballcoach on Oct 2, 2015 6:54:56 GMT -6
How do you apply this message (we have burned the ships, so we better win the battle. Nowhere left to go) to football? I would think the message would be, "Leave everything you have out there. Don't save anything for the next play, don't save anything for next week. There is no next week. We've burned the ships, all we have is what is in front of us right now." |
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Post by jgordon1 on Oct 2, 2015 7:13:43 GMT -6
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Post by larrymoe on Oct 2, 2015 7:35:29 GMT -6
Was watching the Notre Dame show on showtime. They bring in a CEO and he talks about how the Vikings burnt their ships before battle. This becomes the motto for them that week "Buen the boat" Curious if anybody has any stories like this they share that are motivational. Really cool story, but pretty historically inaccurate from what I can gather. The Vikings were grab and dash invaders for the most part. Their raids were based on speed and stealth. You can't accomplish that with no means of escape. Perhaps they did this for their more large scale invasions, but this certainly wasn't the norm. Cool sounding story though. But, just that I believe, a story. Sorry, history teacher moment over. |
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collier
Junior Member
[F4:@kbcollier32]
Posts: 270
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Post by collier on Oct 2, 2015 7:42:11 GMT -6
I heard this with Cortez when he invaded the Aztecs. Great message. Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 2, 2015 7:58:30 GMT -6
I heard this with Cortez when he invaded the Aztecs. Great message. Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. |
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Post by Defcord on Oct 2, 2015 8:03:09 GMT -6
Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. I agree with this. I think the message has to be timed right. You have use the right story with the right message in the right situation.
Maybe for a situation like you describe the movie 300 would be a good motivator. Sometimes you do lose but in that case lose with honor and for a greater good.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 2, 2015 8:16:40 GMT -6
Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. We had somebody come give the boating burning speech my very first year. Losing wasn't an option. The team we played was bigger, faster, stronger and had 3x the amount of people. And had several SEC offers to various players. We had one kid being asked to be a walk on holder at an NAIA school. Losing wasn't an option, but we ended up losing. By a whole lot. Like, game was over before halftime. It ended up being a huge mental blow to our kids, I think. |
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collier
Junior Member
[F4:@kbcollier32]
Posts: 270
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Post by collier on Oct 2, 2015 8:32:50 GMT -6
Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. I'm telling you what the message of the story it is. I think there are times when that sort of message is appropriate for a football team...but not when (like you say) losing is the probable outcome. Have to be smart for when you deliver certain messages. If losing is the probable outcome, then some great motivational story ain't going to do the trick anyway. |
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Post by coachphillip on Oct 2, 2015 8:35:31 GMT -6
I'm with coachd5085 on this one. This should be a message you give your kids in the offseason or preseason in regards to being 100% bought in and committing to a goal. "Defeat is not an option" should not be the message. The message should be "Fleeing is not an option." Framed that way, I think the story is effective. Even though it's essentially about a group of terrorists plundering a native people's land and resources ...
When I was in my first year of coaching, I took my group of kids out to an affluent area to play a school. I had no idea what coaching was really about. I thought it was all theatrics and pre game speeches and halftime inspiration. I was an idiot. I tried to demonize our opponents. I told the kids "You know why you're here? To be the opening win on a rich kid's recordbook. They scheduled the poor kids to come to town so they can look good in their new stadium in front of mommy and daddy. Blah blah blah." We lost 40-0. On the way out, one of our kids said to me they were sorry that they couldn't put up a better fight and that we let the rich kids beat up on the poor kids. I realized that everything I said was now perceived as reality because we lost. I'll never make that mistake again. Everyone is a respected opponent, except for the rivals. Everyone is someone we have to do our best to succeed against. Every team is a nameless, faceless set of challenges.
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pistola
Sophomore Member
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Post by pistola on Oct 2, 2015 8:36:17 GMT -6
Agree...I heard it with Cortez. The message is commitment...no turning back. Losing is not an option. If you want to get back home, you must win. I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. We used this story last year (but it was COrtez not vikings) but it was a theme for the whole season not just a week. More for attitude than winning every game. we had our goals set and even through any setbacks(losses, injuries) we stuck with our BTB theme.. Bigger picture it was that if we quit we lost, not if we lost a game we lost. |
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Post by John Knight on Oct 2, 2015 9:31:24 GMT -6
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Post by fantom on Oct 2, 2015 14:31:57 GMT -6
I see that, but ..Losing IS an option. In fact, in situations where you are looking for this kind of motivational edge, losing is a very realistic if not probably outcome. From my personal experience as a player in a below average to weak program, hearing all that stuff and then losing really does just drive you deeper into the hole. "Loosing is not an option"...and you start 0-2. To a 15-18 year old kid, that is not necessarily easy to process. We used this story last year (but it was COrtez not vikings) but it was a theme for the whole season not just a week. More for attitude than winning every game. we had our goals set and even through any setbacks(losses, injuries) we stuck with our BTB theme.. Bigger picture it was that if we quit we lost, not if we lost a game we lost. It was Cortez, not the Vikings but who cares? If it's good story use it. In fact if you have a lot of Mexican kids (Aztecs) shying away from Cortez might be the way to go. |
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 2, 2015 14:42:21 GMT -6
Someday, when I'm running the show, I'm going to take this to the next level. After we get off the bus for an away game, we're gonna light that sucker on fire. "Burn the bus! We better win the game, because we're going to have to live here from now on!".
I think it's a good story, used in the right context. I'm not a huge rah rah guy, but preaching 100% commitment and selling out, and more importantly, developing that in the weight room can't be a bad thing.
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Post by silkyice on Oct 2, 2015 21:00:18 GMT -6
I'm with coachd5085 on this one. This should be a message you give your kids in the offseason or preseason in regards to being 100% bought in and committing to a goal. "Defeat is not an option" should not be the message. The message should be "Fleeing is not an option." Framed that way, I think the story is effective. Even though it's essentially about a group of terrorists plundering a native people's land and resources ... When I was in my first year of coaching, I took my group of kids out to an affluent area to play a school. I had no idea what coaching was really about. I thought it was all theatrics and pre game speeches and halftime inspiration. I was an idiot. I tried to demonize our opponents. I told the kids "You know why you're here? To be the opening win on a rich kid's recordbook. They scheduled the poor kids to come to town so they can look good in their new stadium in front of mommy and daddy. Blah blah blah." We lost 40-0. On the way out, one of our kids said to me they were sorry that they couldn't put up a better fight and that we let the rich kids beat up on the poor kids. I realized that everything I said was now perceived as reality because we lost. I'll never make that mistake again. Everyone is a respected opponent, except for the rivals. Everyone is someone we have to do our best to succeed against. Every team is a nameless, faceless set of challenges. Great post. Just confused on the everyone is a respected opponent except for rivals. Absolutely does not jive with the rest of the post. Our rivals have been our most respected opponents. |
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jaydub66
Sophomore Member
Varsity D-Line Coach
Posts: 223
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Post by jaydub66 on Oct 2, 2015 21:45:46 GMT -6
I think the best story is of the spartans at thermopli. Persian spies sneak over to see what the spartans are doing a day before the battle. Much to their surprise, the spartans did what they normally do. Polish armor, sharpen their swords, eat their favorite meal (blood soup), and comb their hair.
They all knew they were going to die, but they went about their business as did what they normally do
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Post by coachphillip on Oct 2, 2015 23:46:26 GMT -6
Thanks silky. We have two rivalry games because there are three teams in our city. One of the teams, we have respect for each other forged through hard fought games. They were always physical encounters and I always gave them their due. With the other team, it is extremely bitter and there's some bad blood there. Wanted to be 100% honest in the post. I'd rather it not be that way, but it is.
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Post by hsrose on Oct 3, 2015 0:15:04 GMT -6
If you read some versions of the Art of War one of them describes the same thing but uses cooking pots. We die tomorrow so we don't need them any more, break them, for we have nothing left to regret. We are dead men, we have nothing left to lose, so I will fight with all I have and die well with honor here with my countrymen. Something along those lines.
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Post by coachguy83 on Oct 3, 2015 1:05:23 GMT -6
I think you can use this story when taking over a bad program, but you have to frame it differently. Instead of saying that losing is not an option, you need to sell that there is no turning back. No matter what happens, we must move forward as a program. This can be a pretty powerful message for programs that are traditional losers.
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Post by spartan on Oct 3, 2015 1:48:34 GMT -6
This week I told the team about the battle of Normandy and how the allies landed and no one was going to pick them up. Landing craft go forward not back. If you want to get off the beach you do it together and you push forward. I explained how the battle of Dunkirk failed and they couldn;t get off the beach. We won 35-14. Get off the beach, push forward together.
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Post by fantom on Oct 3, 2015 8:17:59 GMT -6
If you read some versions of the Art of War one of them describes the same thing but uses cooking pots. We die tomorrow so we don't need them any more, break them, for we have nothing left to regret. We are dead men, we have nothing left to lose, so I will fight with all I have and die well with honor here with my countrymen. Something along those lines. You know, that doesn't sound that motivating to me. |
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Post by silkyice on Oct 3, 2015 8:21:03 GMT -6
Thanks silky. We have two rivalry games because there are three teams in our city. One of the teams, we have respect for each other forged through hard fought games. They were always physical encounters and I always gave them their due. With the other team, it is extremely bitter and there's some bad blood there. Wanted to be 100% honest in the post. I'd rather it not be that way, but it is. Appreciate the honesty. The post almost sounded like generically that you were saying that we should respect everyone except our rivals and this is the way all teams should treat their rivals. Like you were advising everyone to not respect their rivals. Hence the question because I did not think you would advocate that. So what you are saying is respect everyone. But there is one case in your particular situation where it is bitter. Unfortunate, but it just is. I can get that. Thanks for the clarification. |
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Post by shocktroop34 on Oct 3, 2015 15:00:47 GMT -6
If you read some versions of the Art of War one of them describes the same thing but uses cooking pots. We die tomorrow so we don't need them any more, break them, for we have nothing left to regret. We are dead men, we have nothing left to lose, so I will fight with all I have and die well with honor here with my countrymen. Something along those lines. You know, that doesn't sound that motivating to me. LOL...not to mention, war or no war, my wife would NOT approve of breaking perfectly good pots! |
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Post by shotgunfivewide55 on Oct 3, 2015 16:14:45 GMT -6
again, being a history teacher I believe the story goes that after landing in the new world cortez's men were griping and some wanted to go back, by burning the ship he basically told them no looking back and no one is going home and to look to the future and keep your eyes on the prize, I believe in their place it was gold...lol
another story that I have used with my kids involved a group of Indians, I do not remember the tribe, the warriors wore for lack of a better term a sache..when they went out into battle the greatest warriors would of course lead from the front. when a stand had to be made these warriors would tie the sache around their waist and tie it to the end of their spear and throw their spear into the ground and vowed that they would make their stand there and either win and live or fall and die, great example about commitment and leading from the front. spelling is not my strength and I am no longer a big rah rah guy, we approach with more of business attitude as I have found that after the first couple of series everything comes down to execution
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 3, 2015 17:55:34 GMT -6
again, being a history teacher I believe the story goes that after landing in the new world cortez's men were griping and some wanted to go back, by burning the ship he basically told them no looking back and no one is going home and to look to the future and keep your eyes on the prize, I believe in their place it was gold...lol another story that I have used with my kids involved a group of Indians, I do not remember the tribe, the warriors wore for lack of a better term a sache..when they went out into battle the greatest warriors would of course lead from the front. when a stand had to be made these warriors would tie the sache around their waist and tie it to the end of their spear and throw their spear into the ground and vowed that they would make their stand there and either win and live or fall and die, great example about commitment and leading from the front. spelling is not my strength and I am no longer a big rah rah guy, we approach with more of business attitude as I have found that after the first couple of series everything comes down to execution Dog Soldiers. |
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pistola
Sophomore Member
Posts: 193
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Post by pistola on Oct 3, 2015 19:27:53 GMT -6
We used this story last year (but it was COrtez not vikings) but it was a theme for the whole season not just a week. More for attitude than winning every game. we had our goals set and even through any setbacks(losses, injuries) we stuck with our BTB theme.. Bigger picture it was that if we quit we lost, not if we lost a game we lost. It was Cortez, not the Vikings but who cares? If it's good story use it. In fact if you have a lot of Mexican kids (Aztecs) shying away from Cortez might be the way to go. Just telling Our story.. you dont have to care! and we were over 50% Mexican/hispanic last year... they didnt put that together so you probably wouldnt have to worry about that too much. |
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Post by fantom on Oct 3, 2015 19:35:20 GMT -6
I like the story of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine at Little Round Top at Gettysburg.
On the second day of The Battle of Gettysburg the 20th was placed at the extreme left of the Union line and ordered to hold at all costs. If they were overrun the Confederates would then be able to roll up the entire Union line and the battle, and possibly the war, would be over. They dug themselves into a strong position and the Confederates began the attack.
They repulsed the first attack and the second and the third but the Confederates kept regrouping and attacking again while the 20th held but kept losing men and ammo. Finally, Chamberlain reached the point where he didn't think that he had enough to hold when the Confederates came the next time. So, he did the logical thing: He ordered his men to fix bayonets and charge.
The Confederates had had a tough fight, too. They'd been attacking uphill all day and they were exhausted. The surprise of the attack and the shock of the Union's downhill charge broke the Confederates. The Union left had held and the stage was set for the third day and Pickett's Charge.
The lesson, when things are really tough be aggressive.
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