How to Win at EF, Part I - Heart

[RooMorgans]

Most EF folks probably watch a lot of football. And when the game is over and the winners are being interviewed by the sideline reporter, you always hear how they talk about having a lot of heart (among the 10 other cliches that they use).

But believe it or not, this same factor contributes to whether you are going to be a successful EF coach or not. Now this post, and anything else I can think of to contribute to what would be a series of threads under the same heading, has only to do with the actual playing of the game - gameday coaching, as it were.

For this, I go back to two games I have played recently against Will Travers, one of the sage veterans of our game and a person of upmost quality and honor in our hobby. On the opening day of the BMEFA, Will was one of my two opponents. For whatever reason, mainly he being Will and me being me, I had it in my head before the game that I was going to lose. That belief fed into how I approached the game, and in Randy Moss fashion, I took plays off - ironic of course, since Randy Moss actually plays for his Raiders. ... The result was a 15-7 loss. I could play 2 or 3 downs of defense, but not 4. I could get yards on 2 or 3 plays, but not enough to move the chains. And after getting back into the game, I didn't put everything into kick coverage, watched his dude go to the house, and the damage was done.

Fast forward to Saturday, and a rematch vs. Will - with me winless and him undefeated. I went into this game knowing what had happened in the first game, and with no changes to my team from that loss. This game, I decided, I was just going to take each play as it came. The first key to succeeding in EF, boys and girls, is to coach every play. If you never take a play off, you are ahead of 80% of your opponents (the other 20% being those players that read this board). So early in the game as he drove down the field, converting a fourth down and gaining more yardage, I tried to stay in it and hope that something good would happen on the next play - if I just played my players in the positions where they are supposed to be, and trusted what they were supposed to do. Even if it was frustrating at times to not get any stops, as he kept hitting clutch passes in long down-and-distance situations. But sure enough on a 4th-and-12, I held him to 11.8 yards (it was close!).

Later, I was presented with a pass I have not normally made in my playing career. Fifty yards separating TTQB and receiver - players in the middle along the line. Instead of assuming I was going to miss (like usual), I gave it my best shot to hit the target (we use the spinner target). Release, rotation, splash! Hit the top right of the target - receiver glides the last 8 yards in for a touchdown.

No discouragement after a punt early in the second half. And then downfield come the Raiders again. Keep putting players in spots - find an open spot to blitz - keep playing - every play. Sure enough, a safety blitzes, the board stops, safety is in the passing lane - INTERCEPTED! ... back the other way for a score and it's a 14-0 lead. Kept playing even after that, to the last play to try and preserve the shutout, which I did.

Let's be clear, Will is a much better coach than me, there's no question about it. His team has more base talent than mine, and he has more coaching experience than I do. But no matter what situation you find yourself in - keep playing, every play. Don't take any plays off. Everyone is going to make mistakes at times, but don't make mental mistakes from laziness, or because you aren't paying attention, or lunch just arrived.

Sometimes, when you put everyone in the right position, and coach as hard as you can every play, you still lose. It's the food chain - somewhere out there is someone higher up on the chain that is better than you. But through heart, belief, and playing every play as if it is your last (so to speak), you're going to win a lot more games than you did before, and maybe a lot more games than your league-mates expect you to.

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RooDisclaimer: If this EF tip doesn't help you, remember, I'm just a painter.