The Turnaround – Your program, your kids

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by Jason Strunk
Lubbock High School Head Football Coach
Follow @WestTXCoach

Lubbock Westerners football

Lubbock Westerners football photo by Abby Reed Photography.

I wanted to throw in a quick blog while working in the office on this sunny Saturday. It isn’t going to be long — just enough to get the point across.

When you rebuild programs, you must take the approach that your kids are your kids. What do I mean by that? I mean treat your kids like you treat your own. Give them all a chance to succeed. Care for them like you would care for your own child. Go the extra mile for them like you would for your own offspring. Sometimes you are the only shot these kids have. Would you want your own child to get one more shot to succeed?

Let nothing get in your way when it comes to helping your players. You may be all they have. Knock down obstacles and barriers for them. Show them you care and that you care more beyond wins and losses.

This whole mentality probably applies to every program in America. Now, I’ve only ever been a part of rebuilds, so this is my approach. Love your kids like they are your own. Let nothing and nobody stand in the way of helping your kids!

Your program. Your kids. In every sense of the words just written.

FIO if you do not understand this mentality.

Editor’s Note: When Jason Strunk took over the Lubbock program in 2011, it had 65 players in the program. As of right now, there are over 200 players who call themselves Lubbock Westerners.

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About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.