At my very first interview for a spot on a high school coaching staff, I had no idea what to expect. As a 21-year old kid, I was trying to land a position on the football staff of the crosstown rival of my alma mater. But for a Lely HS grad, the thought of working at Naples High was a little weird. I’d always hated those guys, and as far as football was concerned, Naples was pretty bad. Awful, actually. I’d been to their last game the previous year, when they lost by over 40 points to a team that was nothing special. So I went into this interview with my eyes wide open, part of me wondering what I was even doing there. As we began, I visited with the school’s new head coach and the one assistant he had already hired. We talked a little football, and I pretended to know what I was talking about. I found out years later that I hadn’t fooled anyone.
This went on for a while, maybe 15-20 minutes, and then I heard something that about knocked me out of my chair. I heard these coaches tell me that Naples High was going to win state championships. I felt like asking, “you mean in softball, right?” Naples High School winning a state title in football was about the craziest thing I’d ever heard in my life. I didn’t know who these men were, but they sure had guts, telling me that this program would rise to that level. But I figured that kind of talk would stay behind closed doors.
So I end up getting hired, and imagine my surprise when, in our first meeting with parents, our head coach stands up and tells people (publicly!) that Naples High School was going to win state championships. I could not believe it. Imagine the worst team you played against last year hiring a coach who began telling people they were going to become not just the best team in town, but the best team in the state. Imagine it. I know you’re already smiling. It’s funny to think about. There’s no way. And who does this person think he is?
As it turns out, these people were men of faith and conviction who were not afraid to dream big, pray big, and do the work needed to see those dreams become a reality. They had the courage to put that Big Hairy Audacious Goal (see Good to Great by Jim Collins) out there for the world to see. Certainly there were people who snickered. But there were also people who were inspired. And these inspired people locked arms with the courageous coaches who weren’t afraid to dream big and to ask others (most notably their players and players’ families) to join them on the journey.
It took a few years, but they got that state title. And they’ve won more since. But they got a whole lot more than championship rings along the way, as an entire community was transformed into one of excellence. And 15 years worth of young men have graduated knowing that they can accomplish amazing things. You probably don’t win a championship every year, but why shouldn’t we plan and prepare as if we’re going to?
So for you and your program, what’s the BHAG that you’ve kept to yourself? What would you risk by putting it out there for others, giving them the opportunity to join you on the journey? Embrace the danger. Take the leap. You never know who you might inspire.
80’s Lyric